Category: The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 466: [The Temple]

Escorted by the Holy Sword Knights, Shien and Lucy left the palace.

Yulin stayed behind.

Shien wasn’t going far, just next to the palace.

On the heart island where the palace was located, there was only one other building besides the royal castle.

That was the temple.

Shien’s goal today was to enter the inner sanctum of the temple.

“Have you made up your mind?”

On their way to the temple, Lucy asked Shien for final confirmation.

“There’s only one chance to enter the inner sanctum, only one chance to gain enlightenment. Are you sure you want to use it now?”

Talking about serious matters, with others present, Lucy didn’t let loose as she did in private, but entered princess mode, becoming dignified and composed.

However, Lucy didn’t distance herself from Shien. As they walked, their shoulders touched, their unguarded closeness telling everyone about their relationship.

Shien glanced at the people around them, bowing and looking at them with envy and jealousy, then looked away.

“I’m absolutely certain.” Shien hadn’t changed his mind. He said to Lucy, “I believe it’s best for me to use this opportunity as soon as possible.”

It wasn’t that Shien was impatient, but without bottlenecks or worries about exhausting his potential, using this opportunity earlier or later didn’t really make a difference.

“Indeed, if we don’t consider bottlenecks and limits, this opportunity can be used at any time. After all, when connecting with the [Logic], being at your limit or facing a bottleneck won’t grant you more enlightenment. Regardless of level or stage, everyone receives the same enlightenment and gains.”

Lucy nodded in agreement, then added,

“But if one gains enlightenment while at a bottleneck or limit, it’s like receiving external help, making it easier to break through and reawaken one’s exhausted potential. Such an opportunity is very rare.”

In other words, the enlightenment gained within the inner sanctum wouldn’t increase or decrease, but if one was at a bottleneck or limit, besides the enlightenment, their bottleneck or limit would also loosen, leading to a breakthrough.

Therefore, people naturally wanted to enter the inner sanctum when they reached a bottleneck or limit to gain this enlightenment.

However, without the issue of bottlenecks and limits, the enlightenment gained would be the same, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Therefore…

“I believe my choice is correct.”

Shien said to Lucy.

Lucy didn’t say much.

“If it were anyone else, I would definitely try to persuade them, but you don’t really need to worry too much.”

That’s what Lucy thought.

Because Shien was the true Hero.

Heroes had limitless potential. Even the weakest Hero could naturally grow to the legendary level, no less than Aldia.

And Shien?

Lucy wasn’t sure about his potential, but judging from the power of his Holy Sword, it was definitely much stronger than hers.

The Holy Sword was a power born from the concept of “Hero.”

Its strength was closely related to the Hero who was its source.

The stronger the Hero’s potential and talent, the more powerful the Holy Sword.

Shien’s Holy Sword required three Seal Rings to be fully sealed, and he had only been in this world for a few months, yet his strength was already no less than hers. This made Lucy certain that her beloved’s potential was immeasurable.

Therefore, it would be extremely difficult for Shien to exhaust his potential.

So, Lucy didn’t think there was anything wrong with Shien’s choice. She only reminded him briefly and chose to respect his decision.

Thus, Lucy brought Shien and the Holy Sword Knights to the temple.

Lucy had sent someone ahead to inform them of their arrival.

Therefore, when Shien and Lucy arrived, a large group of people was waiting for them at the temple gate, welcoming their arrival.

At the forefront was Yuler.

“Welcome to the temple, Earl Buztout.”

Yuler stepped forward with a smile and greeted Shien amiably.

“Your Holiness?” Shien was surprised. “You came to greet us personally? You shouldn’t have.”

He really hadn’t expected Yuler to personally greet him.

But thinking about it carefully, it was only natural.

“You, like Princess Lucy, have a deep connection with the Divine Race. Therefore, you are our most esteemed guests.” Yuler said matter-of-factly, “Moreover, you’re preparing to enter the inner sanctum. The inner sanctum is a treasure left by the Supreme God. Every time it’s used, it requires my consent as the Pope. It’s only fitting for me to welcome you two.”

“Then we’ll trouble Your Holiness.” Shien nodded and said, “Shall we go now?”

“It seems you’re in a hurry.” Yuler couldn’t help but smile. “In that case, please come with me. The Goddess is also waiting for you.”

“Goddess?” Shien raised an eyebrow.

Lucy then spoke.

“Is it Lady Anima? Or Lady Lildas?”

Lucy asked quickly.

The goddesses currently in the temple were probably only these two, who had attended Shien and Lucy’s engagement banquet, the highest-ranking members of the Divine Race.

However, one of these two goddesses might still be holding a grudge about this matter.

Lucy wanted to know which goddess was planning to see them.

Yuler smiled wryly.

“Both goddesses are here.”

Yuler brought this news, which was both good and bad.

“…With Lady Anima present, if Lady Lildas loses control, she should be able to handle the situation, right?”

Lucy muttered, as if praying.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Airi, Sara, and Lilith weren’t here.

Without these three, who could restrain Lildas?

The strongest goddess wasn’t just a title.

With Airi, Sara, and Lilith absent, there was no one who could match Lildas’s power.

Lucy couldn’t help but worry.

Shien, on the other hand, looked unconcerned.

“Don’t worry.” Shien said with a fearless smile, “Lilith has already entrusted her [True Mark] to me, and Airi also left a trace of her magic power on me a long time ago. If anything happens to me here, they will definitely arrive instantly.”

These words made everyone present gasp.

Especially the priests, led by Yuler, whose expressions changed.

“L-Lilith entrusted her [True Mark] to you?”

Yuler was extremely surprised.

It couldn’t be helped.

That wasn’t something to be given away casually.

As the core of existence for members of the Divine Race, a goddess’s [True Mark] was closely related to their existence.

As long as the [True Mark] was intact, even if they died, no matter how many times, a goddess of the Divine Race could be reincarnated and resurrected, the only difference being the speed.

If the [True Mark] was destroyed, no matter how powerful the goddess, she would instantly die, unless the Supreme God used her supreme power to save her.

And although the [True Mark] could be entrusted, it could only be entrusted once in a lifetime.

Receiving the [True Mark] meant that the relationship between that person and the goddess had reached a level of absolute trust unimaginable to ordinary people, a true bond of fate.

If one lived, both lived.

If one died, both died.

Such a relationship was probably even closer than that of husband and wife, right?

What did this mean?

It meant that Shien had gained Lilith’s utmost trust.

No wonder…

No wonder Lilith, a powerful evil god comparable to a Demon Lord, would stand up and protect Shien without hesitation even when facing Lildas.

With such a relationship, it wasn’t surprising at all.

However, while Yuler and the others were surprised by this, Shien, because of the mention of the [True Mark], suddenly remembered something very important.

“Speaking of which, Lucy, you…”

Shien turned to Lucy.

The reason was simple: Lucy seemed to have also entrusted a [True Mark] to him.

However, the so-called [True Mark] was the unique core of existence for goddesses of the Divine Race. Shien had always been puzzled as to why Lucy, a human, would possess such a thing.

Before returning to the capital, Shien had wanted to ask Lucy about this, but after returning, he became a public enemy, forced to become the top candidate in the husband selection and targeted by so many noble sons, caught in the eye of the storm, without any time to think about this matter.

Only now did Shien remember it and subconsciously want to ask Lucy.

However, before Shien could mention it, Lucy, as if knowing what he was about to do, interrupted him.

“Let’s go inside first. Don’t keep the two goddesses waiting.”

Lucy said, giving Shien a look.

Shien then realized that this matter wasn’t suitable to be discussed in this setting.

“Let’s go in then.”

Shien changed the subject and nodded to Yuler.

“Then please follow me.”

Yuler suppressed his surprise, took a deep breath, and smiled before leading Shien and Lucy into the temple.

The surrounding priests immediately followed, respectful and discreet, like attendants.

…

As the representative of the Divine Race in the human world, the temple, in any country, was no less important than the royal palace or castle.

Especially the temple in the royal capital, which was built in Mitra, the capital of the Hero’s Kingdom, and was also the headquarters of the human priests.

This royal capital temple, in terms of scale and decoration, was no less grand than the palace on the heart island.

Led by Yuler and the temple priests, Shien and Lucy walked through the magnificent and spacious corridors, heading towards the depths of the temple.

Yuler, as the host, seemed to consider that this was Shien’s first time here and gave him many introductions.

“The main function of the temple is to serve as a bridge for communication and exchange between the Divine Race and the human race, providing a suitable place for both sides.”

“Not only does it have the function of opening the gate to the Divine Realm, but its main daily task is to bestow blessings upon the newborns of the human race.”

“Once a newborn arrives in the human world, after their first month, they must be brought to the temple, to the Blessing Hall.”

“There, the Divine Race’s ritual will naturally activate, judging the child’s potential and talents, then connecting to the Divine Realm, allowing the goddess whose domain corresponds to the child’s talents to descend and bestow her blessing.”

“Look, that’s the Blessing Hall over there.”

Yuler pointed to a magnificent and mysterious-looking hall.

Shien could sense a faint magic fluctuation from there, proving that Yuler’s words were true, and there was indeed a Divine Race ritual active there.

Then, Yuler continued,

“Besides that, the temple also has other functions.”

“For example, providing believers with a place to join the faith.”

“For example, adopting orphans and children.”

“And for example, healing those with various illnesses.”

“And also providing assistance and training to these believers and orphans. For example, Healing Magic and Holy Magic created by the Divine Race can only be learned in the temple. Therefore, those with incurable diseases often come to the temple, even staying here for long periods of time to recuperate.”

Saying so, Yuler looked at Lucy and smiled.

“Princess Lucy, would you like to visit Princess Liana?”

Hearing this, Shien suddenly remembered something.

“Speaking of which, your mother seems to be recuperating in the temple, right?”

Shien also looked at Lucy.

“Mother is indeed here.”

Lucy, as if she had already thought of her mother, had a rare smile on her face in public.

This showed that Lucy had a good relationship with her mother.

“Do you want to go see her?” Shien thought for a moment, then suggested hesitantly, “I remember she seems to have some illness and has been recuperating here, right?”

“Yes, it’s a congenital weakness that has been with her since birth.” Lucy said with some heartache. “Originally, Mother, with her weak constitution, wasn’t even allowed to have children, but she wanted to leave an heir for the royal family no matter what. In the end, she not only gave birth to Sister Lia, but also gave birth to me the following year, despite everything, causing her body to become extremely weak, and she could only enter the temple to recuperate, unable to leave.”

…Is that so?

This mother was truly remarkable.

Chapter 465: This Dowry, I Approve

Shien naturally didn’t know what others were thinking.

Even if he did, he wouldn’t care.

He understood that after he decided to reveal some of his strength, his status in this world had completely changed. The environment around him was destined to change, and others’ perceptions of him would also be different.

But he wouldn’t bother with these complicated matters.

From beginning to end, Shien only had one thought.

That was, as long as others didn’t provoke him, everything else didn’t matter.

Therefore, Shien abandoned all his unnecessary thoughts and continued to playfully banter with his beautiful fiancée, enjoying himself immensely.

When they finally stopped, the two were lying on the bed.

“I shouldn’t have argued with you. I’m always the one who suffers in the end.”

Lucy, her face flushed and breathing heavily, tidied her messy clothes, then looked at Shien, who was lying there smugly, as if she wanted to bite him a couple more times.

“This is just a reminder not to challenge your man, or you’ll definitely get beaten.”

Shien was incredibly smug and annoying.

Lucy really wanted to hit him a few more times.

But thinking of her clothes, which she had just managed to put back on, if she pounced on him again, they would definitely come off again, so Lucy could only endure it.

That being said, the next moment, Lucy asked another question.

“Hey.” Lucy leaned over Shien, staring intently at him, and asked with some expectation, “Now that we’re officially engaged, when can we get married?”

This eager princess was still thinking about this.

But it couldn’t be helped. Lucy had already tasted the sweetness.

“You don’t know, not only have those ‘simps’ you mentioned stopped coming after our engagement, but even the Kingdom no longer assigns me so much work.”

Lucy said happily.

“Is that so?” Shien asked doubtfully. “You’re still a princess, they shouldn’t leave you with nothing to do, right?”

Lucy rarely dealt with national politics. That was Ancil and Lia’s job. Lucy’s role wasn’t there, and the Kingdom wouldn’t let her handle such trivial matters.

However, Lucy had always been responsible for handling various diplomatic affairs beneficial to the Kingdom, something others couldn’t easily replace.

For example, with the Divine Race, Lucy, with her natural advantages, had obtained many benefits for the Kingdom.

It was difficult for others to interact with the Divine Race, but Lucy had been favored by them since childhood, so the Kingdom always had her act as a liaison and communicator with the Divine Race, using their influence to gain benefits over the past decade.

With Lucy around, even the temple had to give face to the Mitra royal family. Therefore, Lucy was also in charge of the connection, communication, and interaction between the Kingdom and the temple.

Moreover, Lucy’s special status made her highly valued by foreign dignitaries, many of whom wanted to establish connections with her. The Kingdom’s citizens’ preference for Lucy also made her a stabilizing factor, for example, her daily public appearances were a very important task. Lucy’s role in the Kingdom was in diplomacy.

Now, although Lucy was engaged to Shien, her role in the Kingdom should still be very important. How could she suddenly have no work?

Shien was puzzled by this.

Who would have thought…

“Whose fault do you think this is?” Lucy rolled her eyes at Shien, then said, “Although I have connections with the Divine Race, what about you?”

Lucy’s words made Shien understand somewhat.

“You mean, the Kingdom has shifted your previous role to me?”

Shien raised an eyebrow.

“You could say that.” Lucy nodded. “After all, I only have some connections with the Divine Race, but you have the actual protection of the Divine Race and the Demon Race, are acquainted with a Demon Lord, and even have a powerful evil god by your side. Using your name, the Kingdom can do much more than before.”

That was the case.

Because Shien had revealed his strength and the boundless power behind him, Lucy’s role in the Kingdom had decreased significantly compared to before.

Lucy no longer needed to actively contact and communicate with the Divine Race.

With Shien around, the Divine Race would take the initiative to contact the Kingdom.

Lucy no longer needed to deal with foreign dignitaries.

With Shien around, those foreign dignitaries wouldn’t dare to have any ulterior motives and would even try their best to befriend the Kingdom, hoping to gain Shien’s favor, just like the Kingdom.

Lucy no longer needed to worry about these things.

Because there was someone more suitable than her.

And although Shien was a noble of the Kingdom, he chose to be an honorary noble, not holding any official position or having a reason to represent the royal family, so other countries and races couldn’t directly interact with Shien through the Kingdom, and the Kingdom couldn’t ask Shien to be responsible for this kind of work. Therefore, the Kingdom could use this as an excuse to turn passive into active, letting other officials handle these matters, no longer needing Lucy to step forward.

“After all, you didn’t marry into the royal family. Once we’re married, I’ll be marrying into the Buztout family and won’t be suitable for handling too many royal duties.”

Lucy said happily.

Shien thought this girl was foolish.

What did she mean by “not suitable for handling too many royal duties”?

Simply put, because she was about to be married off, and to an honorary noble with little connection to the royal family and the Kingdom, the Kingdom no longer dared to let her know too many state secrets, so they gradually took away her work.

“Is this really a good thing?” Shien glanced at Lucy. “To put it nicely, you’ve become freer, but to put it bluntly, they’re taking away your power.”

“So what?” Lucy said nonchalantly, “Unless I choose to inherit the throne, this is something I’ll have to give up eventually.”

That was also true.

If Lucy didn’t inherit the throne, then when Ancil abdicated, and Lia became the fourteenth queen of the Kingdom of Mitra, Lucy would be granted the title of Duchess and leave the royal family.

At that time, wouldn’t she have to give up her power and work as well?

Now, Lucy was just experiencing this a decade or two earlier.

“This way, I don’t have to work for the Kingdom and the royal family for free anymore, and I can enjoy a decade or two of leisure before Sister Lia ascends the throne.” Lucy clenched her fists excitedly. “I now feel that choosing to get married was an incredibly wise decision. If I had known this would happen, I would have…!”

Lucy stopped mid-sentence.

“You would have what?” Shien looked at Lucy, his eyes narrowed, a smirk on his face. “You would have found someone and married them sooner?”

Although Shien was smiling, there wasn’t a hint of mirth in his eyes.

Lucy was instantly scared.

“I… I didn’t mean that…”

Lucy said weakly.

Shien didn’t say anything, silently stood up, and walked towards the door.

Seeing this, Lucy pounced on him without hesitation.

“Don’t! Don’t break off the engagement!”

Lucy cried.

Clearly, this girl had accurately guessed what Shien was planning to do.

Shien still didn’t say anything, ignoring Lucy, who was clinging to his leg, and continued towards the door.

This undoubtedly made Lucy even more afraid.

“I was wrong! I was really wrong! I didn’t mean what I said just now! It was just talk! I got carried away! Really!!!”

Lucy raised her hand.

“I swear! I absolutely didn’t want to just marry anyone! I only want to marry you!”

This wasn’t just talk, but a true fact.

Lucy wouldn’t be so irresponsible as to joke about her future and chastity just to slack off.

Moreover, before Shien appeared, Lucy would rather remain single for life, working for the royal family, than casually marry another man.

A future where she had to constantly pretend in front of her partner was something Lucy truly feared.

Therefore, if Shien hadn’t appeared, Lucy might have really remained single for life.

Shien naturally knew that this girl was just overjoyed and got carried away.

But even so, he was still unhappy.

“So, to you, I’m just a tool to escape your suffering.”

Shien said with a forced smile.

Lucy, clinging to Shien’s leg, shook her head vigorously.

“That’s not true, absolutely not.” Lucy said with a wronged expression, “Just tell me, what do I have to do to make you believe me and forgive me?”

Good, that’s what he wanted to hear.

Shien’s eyes lit up, and his gaze towards Lucy made her feel a sense of fear.

Specifically, from this beast’s shining eyes, the princess saw many strange images.

This made Lucy want to run away.

But could she?

No!

If she really ran away, Shien might be gone when she returned, becoming a missing person.

In other words…

“You understand, right?”

“…Yes.”

Under Shien’s bright smile, Lucy nodded with a wronged expression.

This represented compromise, and also resignation.

Shien had already made up his mind.

“This time, I must unlock a few more achievements.”

Don’t call him a beast.

After all, Diere had only just submitted last night, but the achievements she unlocked were already almost catching up to Lucy’s.

As the official wife, how could she be surpassed by a concubine?

Therefore…

“I’m doing this to help you!”

Shien sighed with emotion at his own kindness.

…

No matter what, Lucy had become much freer than before. This was an undeniable fact.

As a result, Lucy no longer needed to make her daily public appearances.

“I’m already Earl Buztout’s fiancée. As his future wife, it’s not appropriate for me to make public appearances anymore.”

Lucy used this excuse, making the Kingdom’s citizens wail, but they couldn’t say anything.

What could they say?

Could they demand that someone’s future wife make daily public appearances, being cheered and admired by countless men?

Did they ask her husband’s permission?

Because of this reason, Lucy could now legitimately cancel her daily public appearances.

Even though many citizens weren’t happy about it, a married woman was like water poured out. If they rioted because of this, it would be unreasonable.

Of course, the main reason was Shien’s prestige, which made the citizens of the capital afraid to resist.

At least, Shien had said,

“If you insist on having my future wife make daily appearances for your enjoyment, then I can only ask my friends from the Demon Race and the Divine Race to uphold justice for me.”

What else could people say after hearing this?

They could only give up.

Otherwise, even without the Demon Race intervening, just a single word from a goddess of the Divine Race, and the citizens wouldn’t dare to cause trouble anymore.

Towards Lucy, they felt admiration, longing, and fanaticism.

But towards gods, they felt faith, worship, and obedience.

This was the difference between the people of this world and those of his past life.

In this world, people’s faith in gods was deeply rooted, and they would never disobey “divine will.”

Therefore, they could only keep quiet and stop causing trouble.

This made Lucy a little dumbfounded, even a little annoyed.

“Why didn’t I think of this before?”

Not only could Shien use this trick, but she could too, right?

In terms of her relationship with the Divine Race, wasn’t she even closer than Shien?

“If I had known, I would have also asked a goddess to speak up for me.”

Lucy was annoyed by her past foolishness.

That being said, now, with all these reasons, Lucy had finally escaped her predicament, no longer as busy as before, no longer needing to handle so much work, and no longer needing to worry about the citizens rioting if she didn’t make a public appearance. She had become completely free.

This gave the princess another attribute.

Clinginess.

With nothing much to do, Lucy no longer wanted to stay in her bedroom alone and declared that she would follow Shien wherever he went.

Shien didn’t refuse.

“Since you have nothing to do, then come with me.”

Therefore, Shien took Lucy and left the bedroom.

Lucy brought along the Holy Sword Knights.

“This is the knight order I established for myself, and also the only thing I can take with me after leaving the royal family.”

Lucy said.

Shien was stunned.

“Is this the legendary dowry?”

Looking at the beautiful female knights following them respectfully, Shien opened his mouth, then fell silent.

Well…

This dowry, I approve.

Chapter 464: The Shifting Tides

“Earl Buztout!”

“Earl Buztout!”

As Shien descended from the sky on Yulin’s back, landing in the riding grounds specifically designated for those with mounts, the surrounding knights, officials, servants, and even nobles bowed to him.

Shien jumped off Yulin, patted her head, channeling magic power into her body with the [Taming] skill, making Yulin let out a comfortable sound. He then looked around at the people bowing respectfully to him, a hint of emotion in his heart.

His treatment had truly changed.

After revealing part of his strength and the existence of Airi and Lilith, his status in the eyes of others was completely different from before.

At least, Shien didn’t believe that these people were bowing so respectfully to him just because he was an Earl.

Although an Earl was a high-ranking noble, he was still at the bottom of the upper echelon. It wasn’t to the point where he would receive such attention and respect from everyone upon arriving at the palace.

Although it was partly because he had become the Kingdom’s future prince consort, Lucy’s fiancé, even so, it wasn’t that easy to receive such treatment.

Edel, for example, was also a princess’s fiancé before.

Did he receive this kind of treatment?

Not only did he not, but he was even ignored by many.

Perhaps it was partly because Lia’s influence wasn’t as great as Lucy’s, but the main reason was that Edel himself had no status or ability and was even notorious, which was why people looked down on him.

What? You say he was a Duke’s son?

He was just a Duke’s son.

Frankly speaking, the reason those so-called noble sons could act so arrogantly and smugly was simply because they had the backing of a powerful family. It didn’t mean that they themselves had high status.

Because their fathers hadn’t retired yet, and they hadn’t inherited their titles. Except for those predetermined heirs, most noble sons, after losing in the competition for inheritance, would either be sent to the frontier or given a minor official position. They might seem impressive now, but their futures were uncertain.

Edel was still considered fortunate. As the only heir of the Lucica family, he was destined to inherit the title of Duke. Although many people didn’t think highly of him, they wouldn’t openly offend him.

But expecting others to bow respectfully to him like this was impossible.

In the royal palace, probably only ordinary knights, servants, and low-ranking nobles would bow respectfully to someone like Edel.

As for the Royal Knights and high-ranking nobles above the rank of Earl, they might exchange a few polite words with this young master who hadn’t inherited his title yet, but expecting them to flatter him was impossible.

Shien, on the other hand, was now receiving far better treatment than Edel, even surpassing most Dukes and Marquises.

This wasn’t only because Shien was Lucy’s fiancé, but also because of his backing and because Shien wasn’t just a noble son, but a legitimate Earl with a title.

It could be said that in the Kingdom, Shien’s status had already completely surpassed those noble sons of the same age, even surpassing most nobles, reaching a level comparable to Lucy.

Now, even Ancil wouldn’t speak to Shien casually, showing his special status.

Of course…

“These envious and jealous gazes are far more numerous than those of respect and awe…”

Feeling the gazes from all directions, seeing the envy and jealousy in the eyes of some people in the crowd, Shien smiled inwardly.

It seemed that he, the Earl who had won the Kingdom’s treasure, was still a public enemy in the eyes of many.

Shien didn’t put on airs, but he didn’t act too friendly either. He nodded to those who bowed to him, then whispered a few instructions to Yulin, telling her to stay here, before heading towards Lucy’s bedroom under everyone’s gaze.

Along the way, everyone bowed respectfully to Shien, and many faces were filled with envy and jealousy.

Shien ignored them and went straight to Lucy’s bedroom.

It was worth mentioning that in Lucy’s bedroom, there were no longer those simps who waited there every day.

They seemed to have all disappeared, making the hall outside the bedroom seem empty, which Shien found a bit unusual.

But it couldn’t be helped. Lucy was already taken. If those noble sons continued to act like simps, it would be openly offending Shien, and their families definitely wouldn’t allow it.

In other words…

“I don’t have to be bothered by those guys anymore!”

As soon as Shien entered Lucy’s room, she rushed over happily, her good mood evident.

Shien was startled by this excited girl.

“Was it really that bad?” Shien said with amusement. “They’re noble sons who have been simping for you for years. Wouldn’t it be nice to keep them as backups?”

“What do you mean backups? I don’t need them!” Lucy wrinkled her nose and snorted. “I wish they would all disappear. They guard my room every day, making me surrounded every time I go out, and those who come to see me always try to find connections and squeeze in. If it weren’t for them, I would have found many opportunities to sneak out and play.”

“Behave yourself.” Shien was speechless. “Sneak out and play? First of all, not to mention what would happen to the palace if you suddenly disappeared, with your eye-catching appearance and aura, if you really went out, do you think no one would recognize you?”

Lucy was speechless.

This indeed wasn’t an easy task.

Don’t think that it was as easy as those princesses in novels sneaking out of the palace, disguising themselves slightly, pretending to be ordinary people, and then playing the ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ game.

He couldn’t say for sure about others, but with Lucy’s conditions, no matter how she disguised herself, she would eventually be exposed.

After all, who didn’t know the Kingdom’s treasure?

Even those who hadn’t seen Lucy’s face would be stunned by her breathtaking beauty, right?

Disguise?

Would that work?

Perhaps her appearance could be disguised, but Lucy’s aura, figure, and even her melodious voice, once any of these were revealed, they would attract attention.

In the end, the probability of her being exposed was almost ninety-five percent or higher.

This was the disadvantage of being too famous.

“Unless you go to another country, there’s a slight chance you won’t be exposed.” Shien reminded her kindly, “However, even then, some cliché things might happen.”

For example, a noble son from another country might happen to see Lucy, be stunned by her beauty, lose his mind, and try to abduct her.

Even if Lucy could handle it, what would follow would be a series of standard plot developments.

Like, after beating up the younger one, the older one would come, and after beating up the older one, an even older one would come. In the end, when Lucy finally pushed through, the royal family of that country would probably be alerted.

Then, they would immediately recognize Lucy’s identity, be shocked and awed, then try to flatter and appease her, making Lucy’s identity known to everyone, letting the name of the Kingdom’s treasure shine brightly in a foreign land, attracting countless admirers and followers.

A typical protagonist treatment, right?

It was just too cliché.

“So, give up on this idea.”

Shien ruthlessly crushed Lucy’s fantasies.

“Can’t you at least let me have some hope?”

Lucy was annoyed.

She understood these principles.

But once she understood, she had to admit one thing.

That was, she, Roselucia Mitra, would probably never be able to go out and have fun like an ordinary person.

How cruel!

“You’re not really thinking of sneaking out to play, are you?” Shien said in surprise. “Please, make things easier for me, okay?”

Although a princess disguising herself and going to the commoner’s world to have fun and seek excitement was a common plot, such plots were usually used to serve the protagonist, allowing him to have a fateful encounter, flirt with the princess, marry the beauty, and reach the pinnacle of life.

Lucy still wanted to play like this?

Where did that put him?

Lucy didn’t know that Shien’s imagination had already run wild.

“I was just thinking about it.” Lucy said with a wronged expression. “I never had the chance to do it.”

“Really?” Shien suddenly smiled brightly at Lucy. “Then please remember, my Princess, you won’t have this chance anymore. I advise you to give up on this idea.”

“Hey!” Lucy yelled at Shien, “Are you even my fiancé?”

“That’s precisely why I’m saying this. If I weren’t, why would I care?” Shien replied, narrowing his eyes and smiling brightly. “Of course, if you don’t want to be my fiancée, that’s fine too. Since the dignitaries from various countries haven’t left yet, I’ll make an announcement that I’ve dumped you, and the engagement is off.”

Saying so, Shien even pretended to be about to walk out.

Lucy panicked.

“You dare!”

Lucy pounced on Shien’s back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Do you want to abandon me after taking advantage of me? I’ll bite you to death, you scumbag!”

Lucy bared her teeth and, like a little white cat, bit Shien’s shoulder.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch…! Let go!”

Shien’s face was contorted in pain.

The two started wrestling in the room.

“Let go of me!”

“Not letting go!”

“I’m bleeding! I’m bleeding!”

“I’ll bite you to death, you heartless bastard!” (Her pronunciation is slightly off due to being in pain.)

“Ouch! It really hurts! Why don’t my resistance skills work on you!?”

“What do you think?”

“Ouch! I’m fighting back!”

“Hmph!”

The room was filled with the sounds of their playful fight.

Outside, the female knights of the Holy Sword Knights exchanged glances, then quickly focused on their own tasks, pretending they hadn’t heard anything.

“Yes, Viscount Buztout and the princess are still so loving.”

The female knights nodded seriously.

Clearly, these female knights were used to this.

However, at some point, the sounds coming from the room changed.

Specifically, the sounds of fighting disappeared, replaced by an unnatural silence.

Then, these sounds could be faintly heard.

“Do you really think you can defeat me…?”

“Don’t… don’t touch there…”

“Where? Here? Or here?”

“Mmm…”

These were sounds that made one blush.

The female knights’ faces started to redden, and their hearts began to race.

They were all handpicked guards of Lucy, not only talented, with the lowest level being fifty, but also all beautiful unmarried girls. They usually didn’t even have the chance to talk to men, let alone experience such heart-fluttering things.

But on the other hand, listening to the sounds coming from the room, the female knights couldn’t help but feel incredulous.

The person inside wasn’t just anyone, but the Kingdom’s treasure, the most beautiful woman in the human world.

Their admired, adored, and worshipped princess, that high and mighty, goddess-like princess, was now in her room, being… bullied by a man?

Just thinking about it made the female knights feel unbelievable.

But it couldn’t be helped. These were facts.

They had to admit that their great princess was no longer single, but had a fiancé.

And the two were in love, definitely not together because of some revelation about a disaster.

Others might not be certain, but the Holy Sword Knights were.

Because they were always by Lucy’s side, the closest to her, and had personally witnessed the development of her relationship with Shien, seeing how many times they had interacted in private.

And since then, they had been thinking that being able to get so close to Lucy, Shien might really be able to win the princess’s heart.

Even though Lucy was so outstanding and perfect, seemingly impossible to fall for a man of adventurer origin, in the end, this seemingly absurd guess had come true.

That adventurer who had once followed behind Vivian, seemingly only able to meet the princess because of their connection, had, in just a few months, become a noble who defeated countless heroes, successfully won the prize, ascended to the top, and became engaged to the Kingdom’s treasure.

And no one dared to openly object.

The female knights thought this, lost in thought.

And the sounds coming from the room became increasingly seductive, the air sweetening.

Chapter 463: How Can I Resist This?

After leaving the room, during breakfast, Shien mentioned Diere’s situation to the rest of Vivian’s squad.

Naturally, they were startled.

“Diere went to the Empire alone?”

“H-how could she do that…!”

Melika and Lumia stood up involuntarily, at a loss.

Vivian’s expression also changed.

Although she didn’t know about Mara, Vivian knew about the Raifurut family in the Empire.

Diere actually went to the Empire alone. Wasn’t this walking into a trap?

But Vivian didn’t panic.

“Did Diere do this on her own?”

Vivian looked at Shien and asked seriously.

“It was her own decision.” Shien ate his breakfast calmly, as if it was just a minor matter. “Although it’s a bit reckless, judging from her demeanor, this matter is very important to her. Knowing her personality, I couldn’t stop her.”

Vivian fell silent.

Lumia and Melika, on the other hand, quickly said,

“Then let’s go find her now.”

This was Melika’s thought.

“E-even if we can’t bring Diere back, at least it’s better if we all go together.”

Lumia also looked worried.

“Do you think I didn’t consider that?” Shien rolled his eyes. “But she thinks it’s more convenient for her to infiltrate the Empire alone. Too many people would attract attention, especially me.”

In other words, Diere wanted to act alone, not with them.

“This…”

Melika and Lumia were even more at a loss.

“Alright, calm down.” Vivian finally spoke, comforting the two girls. “Since Diere has made this decision, it means she has her own thoughts and reasons. Let’s respect her choice.”

Vivian had already accepted it.

“…Is this really okay?”

“…Diere.”

Melika and Lumia, however, still looked very uneasy, their worry for Diere evident.

“Don’t worry.” Shien couldn’t help but say, “Going to the Empire alone is indeed reckless, but she’s Diere, she’s definitely more thoughtful than you, and very reliable. Perhaps things aren’t as bad as we imagine.”

Shien didn’t know if he was saying this to reassure others or himself.

After all, it was impossible for him to not be worried at all.

But Diere had pleaded with him, what else could Shien do?

Just as Shien himself said, she was Diere, the second most talented person in the Kingdom, also blessed by the Goddess of Fate, just like Lucy. She wasn’t a delicate flower that needed to be kept in a greenhouse.

If she had something she wanted to do, Shien could only let her do it.

However, he couldn’t help but complain inwardly.

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have been so gentle last night. I should have made her unable to get out of bed today. Let’s see how she would go then.”

Shien thought fiercely.

Unfortunately, Diere wasn’t a pushover either. Although petite and usually silent, she was more proactive, even more… daring, than a certain number one princess.

Yes, daring.

Having already unlocked achievements comparable to Lucy’s accumulated ones in one go, how could she not be daring?

Shien even wanted to shout—”I’m completely drained!”

This showed that Diere’s recovery and stamina were truly impressive…

Ahem, getting off track.

“Anyway, don’t worry.”

Shien comforted the girls.

What else could they do?

They could only pray for Diere’s safety with lingering worry.

Naturally, Nadue, who had returned, saw all of this.

“That child actually made such a choice?”

Nadue frowned, then expanded her senses, merging with nature, extending her “vision” to the entire human world.

Countless images, scenes, and situations transformed into tangible information, flooding Nadue’s mind.

Nadue couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable.

Although Nadue could merge with nature and monitor the entire world, if she constantly monitored everything happening in every corner of the world, the sheer amount of information would give her a headache.

Therefore, Nadue rarely extended her vision to the entire world.

If she only focused on one target, it would be much easier.

So, Nadue usually only monitored one target. If there were multiple targets, she would give instructions to nature, having flowers, plants, trees, and other beings “watch” on her behalf, notifying her if anything happened.

Now, to find Diere, Nadue expanded her vision and looked elsewhere.

Fortunately, Diere hadn’t left the capital for long, so Nadue didn’t need to extend her vision too far and easily found her.

At this moment, Diere had changed her attire, using some magic tool to disguise herself, and had joined a merchant caravan.

The caravan’s destination was the Imperial Capital. Diere, as an adventurer, had accepted an escort mission, using the caravan’s carriages to travel towards the Empire inconspicuously.

“Quite a clever child.”

Nadue hadn’t expected Diere to travel to the Empire this way.

“I’ll let the flowers, plants, and trees watch over that child. If anything happens, I can use a revelation to inform the Hero and have him help.”

As Nadue thought this, she couldn’t help but smile because of something else she discovered.

“Perhaps there’s no need for that.”

Nadue looked at Shien, who was comforting Melika and Lumia, a meaningful look in her eyes.

…

Meanwhile, some distance away from the caravan Diere was in, a figure suddenly appeared on the crown of a large tree, looking at the caravan traveling north towards the Empire, kicking up dust.

“This Diere is quite clever, actually going to the Empire this way.”

Leisha murmured.

“This way, it would be difficult for the Empire to discover her.”

That being said, Leisha still felt it was troublesome.

“If she used spatial transfer magic, she could reach the Empire in about a day, and enter the Imperial Capital in a day and a half at most. Why bother with a caravan?”

Leisha sighed.

“Forget it, he only asked me to secretly follow Diere and rescue her if she encounters any danger. I don’t care about the rest.”

Yes.

Leisha was here because of Shien’s request, to protect Diere.

With this truly elusive Spatial Magic user, not only did she not have to worry about being exposed, but she could also watch over Diere from a safe distance, silently intervening if Diere encountered any trouble.

Leisha didn’t refuse Shien’s request.

“I’m bored of the capital anyway. It’s time for a change of scenery.”

Yes, she only came out to play because she was bored of staying in the capital, definitely not because she was afraid of being discovered by someone like Lildas or Anima if she moved around in the capital.

Of course, it also wasn’t because of Shien’s threat, “If you refuse, I’ll report you, not only to the Divine Race, but also to the Kingdom,” that she had to agree.

…Really?

…Definitely not!

However…

“Why can’t I bring Lasha with me?” Leisha gritted her teeth and muttered to herself, “That guy must be planning something with Lasha, right?”

For this mission, Shien used the excuse that “it’s not suitable to bring along a cumbersome attendant” and had Leisha carry it out alone.

Lasha was left at the Buztout mansion, making Leisha extremely worried.

Especially since Lasha had said to her before leaving,

“Don’t worry, Milady. I’m experienced. I know what to do.”

Lasha’s calm words, however, didn’t reassure Leisha, but instead filled her with deep worry.

“Ah, I’m so worried, so worried…”

Leisha couldn’t help but scratch the tree bark.

But what could she do?

She couldn’t fight against someone with so many powerful backers. Leisha didn’t dare to offend Shien.

Otherwise, knowing Shien, she would definitely suffer a terrible fate.

“Damn Shien, I curse you to never find your utensils when eating, have no water when using the toilet, lose money when trying to earn it, lose your wallet when trying to buy things, step on poop on the road, fall down in the bathroom, and be interrupted and forced to stop every time you want to get intimate with that princess…!”

Leisha began to mutter curses resentfully, completely unaware that last night, a certain goddess had cursed him with almost the exact same words.

The only difference was that the goddess’s curse would actually come true, but she canceled it herself in the end.

And Leisha’s curse was just empty words.

“Really…”

After a long while, Leisha sighed, as if resigning herself to fate, turned around, and vanished.

The caravan in the distance continued to travel at high speed, soon disappearing down the road.

…

At this time, Shien had also left the Buztout mansion and was heading towards the palace.

He didn’t walk, but rode Yulin directly.

In the capital, many people saw this scene, looking up at the black dragon in the sky with envy and jealousy.

Yulin had become Shien’s iconic symbol, attracting such gazes whenever she appeared.

Shien ignored them and had Yulin land in the palace.

Since becoming the princess’s fiancé, he had gained this privilege, being able to freely enter the palace on a dragon.

Chapter 462: “Wait for Me.”

Royal Capital, outskirts of the North Gate.

As dawn broke, Diere, cloaked in a black robe, slowly appeared here, walking forward.

However, she soon stopped.

Because a figure appeared before her.

“You finally came.”

Still wearing the armor of a Royal Knight, with a sword at his waist, and the appearance of a man in his sixties, Wolram emerged from the shadows and came to Diere.

“I thought you didn’t want to come with me.”

Wolram said in a casual tone.

Diere ignored him and continued walking forward.

Wolram sneered.

“It seems you’ve said your goodbyes.” Wolram said nonchalantly, “You didn’t tell Shien Buztout about us, did you?”

Before, when Wolram was about to take Diere away, she said she wanted to go back and see the people around her one last time.

Wolram hadn’t wanted to agree, but Diere wouldn’t accept his threats, insisting on going back no matter what, leaving Wolram, who didn’t dare to attack her, with no choice.

Helplessly, Wolram agreed, but told Diere not to tell anyone about his existence or her departure.

Diere agreed.

That’s why Wolram asked this question.

Who would have thought…

“I didn’t tell anyone about this.” Diere said calmly. “Except for Shien.”

Wolram’s sneer froze.

“You… you told Shien Buztout about this?”

Wolram was shocked and enraged.

Diere remained indifferent.

That was only natural.

“Let me thank you for telling me such important information.” Diere said calmly, “However, there’s one thing you said that was correct.”

What was it?

“I really don’t want to go with you.”

As soon as she finished speaking…

“Swish!”

A blade, flashing with red magic power, suddenly pierced through Wolram’s abdomen, emerging from his back.

Diere suddenly attacked, activating the [Magic Sword] skill without hesitation, piercing Wolram’s heart.

“Wh-what…!?”

Wolram was completely caught off guard and couldn’t believe that Diere dared to attack him. He looked at his bleeding chest, then at Diere, who was close at hand, his face full of disbelief.

However, his disbelief was met with only cold words.

“You’re quite amusing.” Diere pushed the blade deeper into Wolram’s body and said coldly, “Coming to me and saying you originally wanted to take my life, but didn’t dare to because you were afraid of Shien, did you really think I would go with you to your territory and let you slaughter me?”

“Cough…!” Wolram coughed up blood, staring at Diere and growling angrily, “Don’t you want to find that thing…!?”

“Of course, I do.” Diere said impassively. “But I didn’t say I would go with you to find it.”

Wolram was stunned.

“That thing is in the Imperial Capital. That’s what you said, right?” Diere looked directly at Wolram. “Since you were kind enough to tell me the direction, I don’t need you anymore.”

“You wouldn’t obediently give me what I want, but only try to lure me to the Imperial Capital, right?”

Diere’s words enraged Wolram, and his trembling hand reached for the sword at his waist.

Diere, as if she didn’t see this, continued to speak coldly.

“I’ll go to the Imperial Capital myself.”

“I’ll find it myself.”

“Trying to trick me?”

“You succeeded.”

“But whether you can find me, capture me, and achieve your goal depends on your abilities.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing the Raifurut family’s strength, and even more so, the strength of the person behind you.”

After saying that, Diere’s free hand grabbed another blade.

“Swish!”

In a flash of red light, the blade, imbued with [Magic Sword], severed the old man’s head.

The headless corpse fell silently.

Blood splattered across the ground.

Diere simply flicked the blood off her blade, not even glancing at the corpse on the ground. Instead, she turned her head and looked towards the royal capital, as if she could see the luxurious mansion in the noble district, the man who had just received everything from her, a hint of love in her eyes.

“Wait for me…”

Leaving these words behind, Diere turned and left.

At the scene, only a headless corpse remained, lying in a pool of blood, a gruesome sight.

…

At the same time, in the wilderness some distance away from the capital, a young man with a rebellious look appeared, a ten-person squad cloaked in black kneeling before him.

If Shien were here, he would definitely recognize this rebellious young man as Wolram.

This was Wolram’s true appearance.

However, this Wolram had left the capital not long ago and rushed here non-stop to meet with the elite assassination squad sent by the Raifurut family.

And then…

“Pfft!”

At a certain moment, Wolram’s expression changed, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, clutching his chest as if severely injured.

“Young Master!”

“Young Master!”

The elite assassins were shocked.

Wolram ignored them, his face filled with rage.

“Diere Elvenbein…!”

He already knew.

The “sensor” he had painstakingly cultivated had just been killed by Diere.

This was a heavy blow to Wolram, who had spent a considerable price to cultivate this “sensor.”

“Let’s go!”

Wolram roared at the assassins present.

“Turn around!”

Now, he could only turn back and stop Diere, capturing her.

Otherwise, this time, he would truly suffer a double loss.

But Wolram had forgotten that he wasn’t without surveillance.

“It’s not even dawn yet, where are you going, Wolram?”

When this gentle voice rang out, Wolram’s expression changed drastically.

“Who…!?”

The assassins around him were startled, jumping in front of Wolram and drawing their weapons.

Before Wolram and his group, a group of people appeared.

They were a group of fully armed knights.

At the forefront was a duo of an old man and a young man.

The former was an old knight with a cold and arrogant expression, holding a greatsword.

The latter was a prince with a smile on his face, carrying the Thunderstorm broadsword.

“Prince Harvis…”

Wolram said hoarsely.

It was Harvis.

“Good evening, Wolram.”

Harvis greeted him calmly, as if nothing was amiss.

“…What is the meaning of this, Your Highness?”

Wolram’s face was grim, but he couldn’t help but put on a pretense.

Unfortunately, Wolram had a huge misunderstanding.

He had always looked down on Harvis’s amiable and friendly demeanor, not knowing that this prince wouldn’t waste any words when it was time to act.

“Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!” …

A sudden thunderstorm erupted in the wilderness, lightning bolts striking down mercilessly on Wolram and his group.

Instantly, dust and debris flew everywhere as the lightning bombarded the earth, causing great destruction.

The elite assassins of the Raifurut family didn’t even have time to react before they were hit by the thunderstorm, their angry shouts echoing amidst the explosions and roars. Some were sent flying, some rolled on the ground, and some were directly struck by lightning, turning into charcoal.

“Bastard!”

Wolram could only desperately dodge, trying to avoid being directly hit by the lightning, but he was still struck by the shockwaves and electric arcs, looking disheveled.

Harvis, on the other hand, no longer had that gentle smile on his face.

“Don’t blame me. Blame your Raifurut family for choosing the wrong side, and blame yourselves for targeting someone you shouldn’t have, giving me such a good opportunity.”

Harvis chuckled at the enraged Wolram.

“To take the first step in our cooperation with that person, you will become the first gift I offer him.”

After saying that, the knights behind Harvis immediately charged forward.

“Counterattack!”

Wolram could only order his remaining subordinates to resist.

A secret battle began here.

The chaotic fight was about to begin.

…

Royal Capital, Buztout Mansion.

As dawn broke, Shien also woke up from his bed.

“Diere…?”

Shien reached out and touched the space beside him, not feeling the familiar soft body, only a lingering fragrance and warmth.

This made Shien completely awake, and he was silent for a moment.

After a while, Shien got up and saw a note left by his bedside.

There was a simple sentence written on it.

“Wait for me.”

Seeing this, Shien couldn’t help but feel a pang of loneliness.

But he also believed that Diere could definitely handle her own matters.

Although she had always been protected by the people around her, and even he was a bit worried about her, the fact that the people around her protected her so fiercely also proved that Diere was blessed by the Goddess of Fate, protected and favored by fate.

At least, the Goddess of Fate definitely wouldn’t let anything happen to her blessed one, right?

Therefore, Diere’s trip might be smoother than he imagined.

Since that was the case, he would wait for her for a month, as agreed.

And during this month, he also had to do what he wanted to do.

“Alright!”

Shien put away the note and jumped out of bed.

“Whoosh—!”

A cold breeze blew past, and Shien felt a chill on his backside.

Shien then realized.

He wasn’t wearing any clothes.

Chapter 461: I Will Not Yield!

Lakeheart Island, Royal Capital, Temple.

In the deepest part of the temple, the three goddesses of the Divine Race had gathered.

Lildas and Anima hadn’t returned to the Divine Realm yet, but were temporarily staying in the temple. It was unclear whether Lildas didn’t want to go back, or if she was simply too mentally and physically exhausted.

Anima gently comforted Lildas.

Until Nadue appeared.

“Nadue?”

Lildas, looking listless, seemed stunned to see Nadue.

“You’re here?”

Anima smiled wryly as usual, seemingly tired.

“You’ve worked hard, Anima.”

Nadue naturally knew what was going on and comforted Anima while patting her shoulder.

Lildas also finally reacted and threw herself into Nadue’s arms with a wronged expression.

“Waaah, Nadue, listen to me…”

Lildas began to complain, as if she had been greatly wronged, clinging to Nadue and sobbing.

“Alright, alright, it’s okay now.”

Nadue comforted Lildas, then exchanged glances with Anima.

They didn’t intend to tell Lildas what they had been doing recently.

Otherwise, if they triggered this Goddess of Fate’s excessive sense of responsibility and mission again, she might lose control again.

Therefore, Nadue didn’t offer any further explanation, just saying,

“You were really too impulsive this time.” Nadue, like Anima, reprimanded her, “Although Princess Lucy is indeed your blessed one, and I know you cherish her and have a good relationship with her, as goddesses, we only have the responsibility to guide the lives of the human race’s children. We shouldn’t forcefully interfere or intervene. Your actions today will only cause trouble for Princess Lucy. Do you really have the heart to see her in such a difficult position?”

“Mmm…” Lildas didn’t speak, but whimpered softly.

Clearly, Lildas also regretted her actions.

She knew she was impulsive and reckless, but she just couldn’t control herself.

As the Goddess of Fate, accustomed to manipulating everything in the world, because it was too easy for her to interfere with everything, when facing things whose fate she couldn’t control, Lildas had no coping mechanisms and would completely lose control, like this.

However…

“Didn’t I already apologize? And he still said I… said I’m the oldest woman in the world…!”

Lildas started sobbing again.

Nadue and Anima really wanted to say, wasn’t that the truth?

However, if they said that, it would probably cause unimaginable harm to Lildas.

Therefore, Nadue could only say, “Well, he was wrong to make fun of a girl’s age. That’s unforgivable.”

“Right?” Lildas suddenly seemed to find support and said repeatedly, “Nadue also thinks he shouldn’t be easily forgiven, right?”

“Then what are you planning to do?” Nadue chuckled and advised, “If you go too far, Princess Lucy might be displeased.”

“Displeased by Lucy…” Lildas immediately wilted.

She didn’t want to be disliked by her beloved blessed one!

“Th-then… I’ll curse him to never find his utensils when eating, have no water when using the toilet, lose money when trying to earn it, lose his wallet when trying to buy things, step on poop on the road, fall down in the bathroom, and be interrupted, stopped, and forced to stop every time he wants to get close to my Lucy…!”

Lildas immediately began to mutter curses, her resentment making Anima and Nadue a little apprehensive.

Perhaps, for others, these were just insignificant verbal curses.

But who was Lildas?

The goddess who could manipulate fate!

In other words, everything she said would come true.

Even with Shien possessing the [Supreme God’s Blessing], it was the same.

After all, this wasn’t just manipulating his fate, but also the environment around him.

At least, in Anima and Nadue’s view, at least half of Lildas’s curses would come true.

That Hero was in trouble.

Anima and Nadue could only offer him their silent condolences.

Seeing that Lildas seemed to want to continue cursing, Anima quickly said,

“S-speaking of which, Lildas, I didn’t expect you to apologize to him so readily today.” Anima changed the subject, truly surprised. “I thought you wouldn’t compromise so easily.”

Nadue also found it strange.

When she saw that scene, she was also surprised.

Precisely because they had been together for so long, their relationship like sisters, Anima and Nadue knew that this current strongest being was a bit childish and stubborn.

It was truly surprising that she would apologize so readily to Shien, whom she had been hostile towards before.

“I…”

Lildas was also speechless.

Recalling what had happened at that time, Lildas’s heart couldn’t help but pound.

Why did Lildas apologize to Shien so readily?

The reason was simple.

“He was the first person who dared to glare at me and lecture me so mercilessly…”

Lildas mumbled, making Anima and Nadue stunned.

But this was Lildas’s true thought.

As the closest existence to omnipotence, Lildas’s power was terrifying.

She could control almost everything in this world, except for a few exceptions.

With the Supreme God and the Demon King absent, she was undoubtedly the strongest.

Even when the Supreme God and the Demon King were still around, she was still the “third strongest,” second only to those two exceptional existences.

No one could defy or disobey her. Even the Divine Race and the Demon Race were wary and afraid of her power, never daring to look her in the eye or offend her easily.

Even Anima and Nadue, although they treated Lildas like a sister, they also had an attitude of tolerance, protection, and closeness towards her, never directly reprimanding or lecturing her, at most just blaming her a little.

In other words, Lildas felt that there was no one in this world who would dare to defy her.

Even the Demon Lords’ hostility towards Lildas was mostly out of fear and caution.

For example, Sara and Airi, although they seemed to be opposing Lildas on the surface, when Lildas embarrassed herself, the first thing they explained to Shien wasn’t anything else, but how strong and terrifying she was, warning him not to underestimate her.

This proved that Sara and Airi were always wary and apprehensive of Lildas.

As a result, no one knew that Lildas was actually very lonely.

No one would defy her.

And almost everything in the world went according to her expectations.

Under such circumstances, after such a long time, how could Lildas not find this “boring”?

The Goddess of Fate couldn’t manipulate the world, but the world still revolved around her.

As long as she used her power, she could achieve almost anything.

It was so easy, so effortless, so simple, so easy to make everything go according to her will, that Lildas always felt that if she didn’t have any principles, she might have already fallen and become an evil god or a demon god, recklessly changing the world due to the boredom, lack of fun, and loneliness in her heart.

Therefore, Lildas, fearful and apprehensive, cultivated an excessive sense of responsibility and mission, not for anything else, but to restrain her own desires and impulses.

Her loss of control, her recklessness, was actually deliberately controlled within this range.

Otherwise, if she truly let her boredom run wild, she would have already transformed the world into her own backyard, her playhouse.

“Perhaps this is why Mother Goddess isn’t interested in anything in the world and resolutely chose to slumber eternally after the Demon King’s death.”

Lildas was the one who understood Omniis’s thoughts the best.

Everything was so easy and effortless, naturally there was no fun in it.

But today, that man glared at her, scolded her, even ridiculed her mercilessly, looking at her not with apprehension and fear like others, but like she was a foolish child, making Lildas feel angry and wronged.

When she came back to her senses, Lildas was surprised to find that while feeling angry and wronged, she also felt happy.

Because her power actually couldn’t affect that human.

Usually, even if Lildas didn’t deliberately use her power, it would still have some influence depending on her mood.

Like when she first appeared, Lildas, because of her dissatisfaction with Shien, used her power once, making Shien feel “unrivaled.”

Because at that time, the entire world was against him.

But Shien quickly broke free within a few seconds, preventing his fate from being interfered with, surprising Lildas.

Perhaps it was from that moment on that Lildas started to take Shien seriously.

Otherwise, Lildas wouldn’t even give him a chance to speak to her as an equal, right?

Later, Shien glared at her and scolded her again. All his actions were different from others, exceeding their expectations, and even Lildas’s expectations.

This “novel” feeling of being unable to control or predict what would happen next made Lildas unconsciously happy.

That’s why Lildas readily apologized to Shien.

Perhaps even Lildas herself didn’t know that she had always wanted a friend who dared to ignore her, reprimand her, and even be angry at her, not a “puppet” who would always obey her every whim.

Thinking of this, Lildas muttered,

“Forget it, I won’t curse him anymore.”

She had to regain her ground.

Shien Buztout.

I will not yield!

Chapter 460: “Trust Me.”

Shien didn’t leave this engagement banquet empty-handed.

At least, Shien now knew that he had an opportunity to quickly become stronger.

This opportunity was to enter the inner sanctum of the temple.

As long as he entered the inner sanctum, this treasure of the Supreme God that allowed one to directly connect with the [Logic], he would gain extraordinary insights and grow.

This growth could be an increase in level, learning a new skill, or even awakening a Unique Skill. It was an opportunity for transformation for every human.

Since that was the case, this opportunity couldn’t be missed.

“Although Lucy said it’s best to enter the inner sanctum when one’s strength can no longer improve, or when one encounters a bottleneck and has exhausted their potential, unable to grow any further, I probably won’t encounter such a situation.”

Ordinary people might encounter bottlenecks, reach their limits, and exhaust their potential, unable to improve or grow any further.

But Shien wasn’t one of them.

The existence of his Unique Skill, [Divine Grace], proved that Shien’s growth potential in all aspects was the highest.

In terms of potential, Shien was even confident that he wouldn’t lose to any of the past Heroes, or even anyone in this world.

Coupled with the [Supreme God’s Blessing], Shien believed that his potential was limitless.

This wasn’t blind confidence.

So far, Shien hadn’t encountered any bottlenecks or limits, easily increasing his level and acquiring various skills.

The strength that others spent their entire lives pursuing, he had already obtained in just a few months after coming to this world.

His Holy Sword was also the highest level, far surpassing even the legendary Holy Sword that defeated the Demon King. This was also proof of Shien’s potential.

Therefore, Shien didn’t need to worry about exhausting his potential, encountering bottlenecks, or being unable to grow and improve further.

And since he didn’t need to worry about this, then there was no need to be so particular about when to enter the inner sanctum and obtain this opportunity for transformation.

“I’ll go to the inner sanctum after this commotion is over.”

Shien decided.

Just then…

“I knew you were here.”

A familiar, indifferent voice reached Shien’s ears.

Shien was stunned for a moment, then guessed who it was and looked forward.

As expected, with the sound of splashing water, a familiar, petite figure appeared.

“You haven’t rested yet, Diere?”

Shien looked intently at her.

The newcomer was Diere.

A naked Diere.

“Not yet.”

Diere, naked, her smooth purple hair draped over her shoulders, even her mask removed, appeared before Shien without any concealment, her beauty on full display.

Even though it wasn’t the first time he had seen her like this, Shien’s heart still raced.

And Diere, either not noticing or not caring, walked into the water and soaked in it, just like usual.

However, Diere today seemed different from usual.

Firstly, Diere kept staring intently at Shien for some reason.

Secondly, usually, Diere would soak across from Shien, not approaching him unless she had something to say. But this time, as soon as she entered the water, she came to Shien’s side and sat beside him.

This made Shien even more excited.

Diere was right beside him, close to him without any guard, although only their arms were touching, the sensation was so clear that Shien’s heart couldn’t help but race.

Shien had a feeling.

What kind of feeling?

It was simple.

“I might be able to score a home run.”

This thought made his heart jump from three hundred to seven hundred beats per minute.

However, just as Shien was thinking this, Diere’s words suddenly doused him with cold water, extinguishing all the excitement in his heart.

“I want to tell you something.” Diere suddenly said, “I might have to go to the Ragna Empire.”

These words made Shien’s heart clench, and he instantly calmed down.

“The Empire?”

Shien frowned.

“That’s right.” Diere said calmly, “There seems to be something I’m looking for there, so I plan to go and see.”

These frank words didn’t elicit a response from Shien.

How could he respond?

At this time, this girl suddenly saying she wanted to go to the Empire to look for something, how could Shien believe there was no hidden reason?

“…Did you encounter someone you shouldn’t have?”

Shien was silent for a moment, then asked.

Diere turned her head and looked at Shien.

“You knew about the Raifurut family.” Diere said, “The thing you’ve been hiding from me was about them, right?”

Shien didn’t deny or confirm.

But Diere already had her answer.

“I’ve been protected all along.” Diere murmured, as if talking to herself. “Although I wanted to resolve this on my own, I’ve been constantly protected by you. Is this the protection of fate?”

“…You know,” Shien said, worried that Diere would get fixated on this, “we don’t want to see anything happen to you.”

“Yes, I know.” Diere didn’t deny it and nodded. “Precisely because of this, this time, I want to do what I want to do.”

“Go to the Empire?” Shien frowned. “Since you already know about the Raifurut family, you should know that they have ulterior motives towards you, right?”

“I know.” Diere repeated these words, but she didn’t seem to care. “But it’s not that easy to control me.”

Hearing this, Shien knew that Diere had made up her mind.

He didn’t know who Diere had encountered or what she had heard.

But he knew that it wouldn’t be easy to persuade her.

There was something in the Empire that Diere was pursuing.

Perhaps the Raifurut family knew about this, and because of their own reasons, didn’t dare to openly target Diere anymore, so they used this to lure her over.

Diere couldn’t possibly not know this.

But she still decided to go, which meant that thing must be very important to her.

Then, he couldn’t stop her.

Since that was the case…

“I…”

Shien wanted to say something.

However, Diere stopped him.

“Mmm…!”

Shien’s eyes widened in surprise.

Diere suddenly turned around, sat in his lap, hugged him, and kissed him without hesitation, stopping his words.

This wasn’t their first kiss.

Back in the Atlus Gorge, Diere had also kissed Shien like this.

However, at that time, Diere did it to share her skill information with Shien, using this method to establish the closest magic connection and convey the skill’s message.

After a long while, Diere finally let go.

“Let me go.”

Diere stared intently at Shien and said.

“Even though I’m not strong enough yet, you have to trust me. Trust that I’m not acting recklessly.”

Diere said to Shien.

“I know my limits, and I have my own plan. You don’t have to worry about me.” Diere looked at Shien and said, “As for you, although you’re strong, you’re now being watched by everyone in the world. Once you go to the Empire, the moment you cross the border, the Imperial capital will receive news of your appearance and take action.”

That wouldn’t be beneficial to Diere’s next move.

“But I can’t just let you go to the enemy’s territory alone, can I?”

Shien embraced Diere’s smooth and soft body, captivated by her beauty, figure, and passion, but still objected.

Diere also knew that if she was too reckless, it would only cause trouble and worry for others.

But she didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.

If it were before, it would be fine, but now, she had special feelings for Shien and didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.

Of course, Diere also had a feeling that if she left without saying goodbye, Shien would be furious.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Diere decided to tell him and make an agreement with him.

“Give me a month.” Diere said seriously. “Just one month.”

Shien was silent.

“Trust me.”

Diere cupped Shien’s face, making him look into her eyes, her small face filled with unprecedented seriousness.

Seeing that look, Shien knew he couldn’t say no.

“…One month?”

“Yes, one month.”

“What if something happens to you?”

“Don’t forget, I also have the Goddess of Fate’s blessing. If there’s danger, I will receive a revelation and avoid it in time.”

“Then…”

“Trust me.”

The conversation ended here.

Because Diere once again sealed Shien’s lips with a kiss.

“Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?”

Diere’s whisper echoed in the bath.

What happened next didn’t need to be explained.

The temperature in the bath continued to rise.

Shien finally got his wish and devoured this alluring little vixen.

As for the process…

Chapter 459: Time for Some Serious Development

Night deepened.

As the full moon hung high in the sky, the Kingdom of Mitra gradually quieted down.

The nationwide engagement banquet ended just like that.

However, with the news spread by the dignitaries, the inside story of the engagement banquet also began to circulate throughout the night.

By tomorrow, the Kingdom, and even the other nations of the human race, would know how exciting tonight’s engagement banquet truly was.

There would definitely be no shortage of rumors about Shien.

From now on, Shien was officially the future “prince consort,” his status and position once again changing, becoming someone others looked up to.

Under such circumstances, Shien, along with Airi and Lilith, returned to the Buztout mansion on Yulin’s back.

The members of Vivian’s squad had already returned and seemed to have gone back to their rooms to rest.

Leisha and Lasha seemed to have returned as well. According to the maids, they seemed to have returned furtively and hurriedly, then hid in their room and didn’t come out again.

“It’s not easy to make that young lady feel scared.”

Shien gloated a little.

He knew that Leisha must have been frightened by the appearance of Lildas, Anima, and even Sara.

After all, not long ago, this arrogant young lady was captured by Anima, trapped in the Divine Realm, and almost couldn’t return. As a former member of the Old Demon Faction, she wouldn’t dare to appear openly before Sara, the supreme ruler of the Demon Race, and Lildas, the strongest of the Divine Race. It was only natural for her to be scared by their appearance.

These three wouldn’t be as lenient as Airi and ignore her. Therefore, Leisha definitely wouldn’t dare to appear before these big shots.

“See if you still dare to be so arrogant, thinking that being a Spatial Magic user allows you to run around and cause trouble.”

Shien felt quite pleased about this.

As for Airi and Lilith, the two little girls seemed to be sleepy already. As soon as they returned home, one rubbed her eyes and went back to her room, the other fell asleep directly in Shien’s arms.

“Let me take her.”

Lasha appeared silently and took the sleeping Lilith from Shien’s arms.

Before Shien could even say a word, Lasha left with Lilith, her face impassive, leaving him stunned, almost unable to react.

“Forget it.”

A lot had happened today, and Shien didn’t want to bother with meaningless things, so he let Lasha take Lilith away.

Lasha seemed to have special feelings towards Lilith, taking good care of her, as if she was very experienced and had taken care of many children before. Her proficiency even made Shien wonder if this amazing maid was secretly running an orphanage or shelter somewhere.

Well, it was also possible that she was.

Why?

She would probably say,

“That’s a meaningless question. As a qualified maid, I naturally have to serve others perfectly.”

How true.

Shien ignored everything else, went straight to the bath, quickly took off his restrictive ceremonial attire, and soaked in the hot water.

“Phew… I’m alive again…”

Leaning against the warm wall of the bath, Shien exhaled comfortably.

Only then did Shien realize that he was actually quite tired.

“Getting up early in the morning to prepare for the engagement banquet, communicating with the people from the palace, and choosing clothes for the evening, how could I not be tired?”

Especially when there were hundreds of outfits to try on, it was truly a painful experience.

Fortunately, he had an amazing maid at home, who possessed the unique skill of undressing and dressing someone in a second, and taking care of their appearance in another second. This greatly reduced the pain of the process. Otherwise, Shien felt that he might have fainted and wouldn’t have been able to attend the evening engagement banquet.

“But the engagement banquet was also quite eventful…”

First, he had to put on a fake smile and greet others, then he had to face the bombardment of the big shots, and in the middle, he was even startled, experiencing what “divine might like a prison” meant, and witnessing the most powerful existence of the current era.

Although this strongest existence ended up being a klutz, her presence and pressure were undeniable.

Recalling the feeling of “unrivaled” he had when he first saw Lildas, Shien suddenly felt that he wasn’t as strong as he thought.

Of course, compared to most people in this world, Shien was undoubtedly very strong.

At least, Shien didn’t think he would lose to anyone below the level of the Three Goddesses and the Six Demon Lords.

Even Aldia, the current strongest human, Shien was confident he could defeat.

Even without using the Holy Sword, fighting Aldia head-on, Shien had a chance of winning.

The problem was…

“Not good enough compared to those above, but more than enough compared to those below.”

That was the situation.

Shien’s current situation was just like that: not good enough compared to those above, but more than enough compared to those below.

Against those below the level of the Three Goddesses and the Six Demon Lords, Shien was practically invincible.

However, against those at the level of the Three Goddesses and the Six Demon Lords, Shien felt that he couldn’t defeat any of them.

This was the power scale of this world.

In Shien’s view, everyone in this world could basically be divided into three tiers.

The first tier consisted of only two people—the Supreme God and the Demon King.

These two were exceptional existences, the origin and beginning of everything, beyond human reach, truly invincible. If it weren’t for their mutual restraint and the appearance of the Hero, a major variable, no one could defeat these two, even if their enemy was all life in the world.

Fortunately, the Demon King had been defeated by the combined forces of the Hero and the Supreme God, and the Supreme God had fallen into an eternal slumber. This exceptional tier could be ignored for now, and there was no need to consider them.

The second tier consisted of a group of people—the Three Goddesses, the Six Demon Lords, and existences at their level.

These beings had already surpassed the limits of life, and in Shien’s view, they no longer had the concept of levels, having broken free from the rules of “Logic” and the constraints of the world.

In other words, they had all surpassed the limit of level one hundred, reaching another realm, completely incomparable to other lifeforms still limited by that level.

The proof was that even now, Shien couldn’t see through the level and abilities of beings in this tier with his [Appraisal] skill.

Whether it was Airi, Sara, Lilith, or Anima, Shien couldn’t see their levels or skills. They also possessed power far surpassing ordinary people. Legendary existences like Aldia, who was about to reach the level limit, were probably just “slightly stronger ants” in their eyes.

Even Shien, after using the Holy Sword, couldn’t defeat Lilith, an evil god who had lost her mind and was recklessly unleashing her power. This showed how strong the beings in this tier were.

The third tier consisted of everyone else—all life in this world.

They were still growing within the boundaries of “Logic,” beings with limits, unable to transcend or break through, their limit being level one hundred.

In the final battle a thousand years ago, the human race needed to gather thirteen heroes above level ninety-five to barely fight against one Beast Demon. This showed that even the strongest in this tier were still limited.

Shien believed that these thirteen heroes were all powerful figures in the human race, none of them weaker than Aldia.

In other words, it took thirteen people stronger than Aldia for a third-tier existence to contend with a second-tier existence.

But it was only contending.

It was said that of those thirteen heroes, more than half were killed by the Beast Demon in the end, and the rest only survived because the Demon King was defeated and the war ended.

Otherwise, in the end, none of them might have survived.

This showed the huge gap between those who hadn’t transcended and those who had.

Shien felt that his current strength was somewhere in between.

“Without using the Holy Sword, I’m probably at the top of the third tier, about the same level as Aldia.”

“Using the Holy Sword, I can reach above the third tier, but not the second tier. At most, I can pose a threat to them with the Holy Sword’s power, but my raw strength isn’t enough.”

“This is because my level is still too low, I haven’t learned many skills, and my Unique Skill isn’t combat-oriented. Although my growth rate is fast, I still lack accumulation.”

For example, the Holy Sword, although it could enhance Shien’s power by a hundred levels, not only hadn’t that power reached its maximum growth potential, but it could only enhance Shien’s strength, speed, defense, and so on.

But the Holy Sword also had the effect of increasing all skill levels by ten. This effect was determined by the number and strength of his skills.

The more skills Shien learned, the greater the enhancement from this effect.

Conversely, it was far from reaching its limit.

Besides that, the Holy Sword also had the effect of countering demons and evil powers, as well as immunity to negative effects and a protective ability to greatly reduce damage.

The latter gave Shien the ability to survive and targeted strength, allowing him to survive against second-tier existences, but it couldn’t directly increase his raw power.

Since that was the case…

“I need to find a way to train myself further.”

Last time, Shien put in a lot of effort to learn Celestial Magic and Bestowal Magic.

This time, Shien was prepared to make the most of his Unique Skill, which had a broken growth rate, and seriously develop himself.

“Alright.”

Shien clapped his hands, making up his mind.

“I’ll find some time to visit the temple.”

Chapter 458: Eaten to the Bone?

Although the atmosphere had been awkward for a while, with Lildas’s personal apology, the matter was considered resolved.

Of course, that’s what she said.

“I… I’m only apologizing for interrupting the engagement banquet. I haven’t acknowledged this marriage itself!”

The Goddess of Fate said this with dissatisfaction.

It seemed that this goddess still couldn’t accept the fact that her beloved blessed one was getting married.

She was less like a mother worried about her daughter marrying the wrong man, and more like a spoiled younger sister worried about her older sister being taken away.

Therefore, Shien said without thinking,

“You’re clearly the oldest woman in the world, but your temper is like a child’s.”

These words dealt a greater blow to Lildas than Shien had imagined.

“The oldest woman in the world… oldest woman… oldest woman…”

Lildas retreated to a corner of the side hall, unable to get up, as if she had shut down.

“How could you say that?”

Even Lucy couldn’t stand it anymore.

It couldn’t be helped.

“Don’t you know that for a woman, age is an untouchable topic?”

Even Sara suddenly switched sides and started to criticize Shien.

Anima also smiled wryly.

Airi muttered, “I’d rather you think of me as an older woman.”

Lilith didn’t seem to understand the current situation, but she also saw that Lildas no longer posed a threat to Shien, so she threw herself into his arms, rubbing against his chest, refusing to leave.

As for Ancil, seeing that the situation hadn’t worsened, he unconsciously wiped the sweat from his forehead, showing how nervous he was.

It wasn’t that his mental fortitude was weak, but there were truly terrifying figures in this small side hall.

If things went wrong and a conflict really broke out, not only would the entire Kingdom be affected, but the precarious balance between the Divine Race and the Demon Race might also be broken, leading to another war.

Therefore, having witnessed the entire conversation, Ancil had been sweating bullets.

Even Lucy, the blessed and favored princess, didn’t dare to speak much, afraid of escalating the situation, showing how terrifying the conversation between the powerful figures of the Divine Race and the Demon Race was to humans, making them too afraid to intervene.

Only Shien, this heartless guy, completely disregarded the possibility of the situation worsening, not only remaining calm but also lecturing a goddess.

This courage, this mentality, was probably something even the Hero Mitra couldn’t match, right?

Yet, he intervened so naturally, even being treated as an equal by the goddess and the Demon Lords, showing his high status in their eyes.

Even Lildas, who was meeting Shien for the first time, only put on airs at the beginning and then treated him equally, even apologizing, which was unprecedented. This made Ancil repeatedly reassess his view of Shien, no longer daring to treat him as an ordinary human.

(A human with such a close relationship with both the Divine Race and the Demon Race…?)

Even past Heroes couldn’t achieve this.

(Perhaps his future will be even more astonishing than Lucy’s.)

Ancil finally realized this.

He didn’t know if this was a good thing.

However, only such a person could be worthy of his outstanding daughter, couldn’t he?

(Not having him marry into the royal family, that decision might have been the right one.)

Ancil thought to himself, relieved.

Yes, when Ancil decided on the engagement between Shien and Lucy, he had considered having Shien marry into the royal family.

At that time, Shien had only shown some talent and skill in taming, and the incident with the Lucica family hadn’t happened yet.

For Ancil at that time, with Lucy’s status, beauty, and abilities, it was only natural for Shien to marry into the royal family.

But in the end, this decision was unilaterally rejected by Lucy.

“That person would never marry into the royal family. Give up on this idea before it’s too late.”

Lucy, with concerns that others couldn’t understand, firmly rejected this idea, putting a stop to it.

At that time, many people probably couldn’t understand Lucy’s actions, right?

But now, including Ancil, they might understand.

Because this wasn’t someone who needed to marry into the royal family, but someone they needed to curry favor with.

Having such a person marry into the royal family would only ruin things.

Thinking of this, Ancil couldn’t help but feel relieved.

Unfortunately, Ancil didn’t know Lucy’s true thoughts.

“I finally managed to escape this palace. How could I let Shien marry in and be trapped here with me…!?”

At that time, Lucy had shouted this in her heart, expressing her desire for a carefree life.

Anyway, no matter what, the engagement banquet was over. Not only had Shien been promoted to Earl, but he had also become the fiancé of the Kingdom’s treasure. This was an irreversible fact.

From now on, Shien had officially become a prominent figure in the Kingdom of Mitra, even in the entire human world. This was certain.

However, many were still speculating about how Shien’s relationship with the Divine Race would develop.

After all, many people had witnessed what happened today, personally seeing Lildas’s opposition to this marriage.

This made many imagine that perhaps not everyone in the Divine Race supported Shien.

For example, the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Nature clearly supported Shien, but Lildas, the strongest of the Divine Race, the Goddess of Fate, didn’t approve of him?

Everyone thought this way.

Even the noble sons couldn’t help but have a glimmer of hope, hoping that the Goddess of Fate would be able to break this marriage.

That way, the Kingdom’s treasure would still be everyone’s, not just Shien’s.

Even though this Kingdom’s treasure had already been “defiled” (kissed), the noble sons still couldn’t help but hope that before their goddess was completely devoured, she could return with minimal losses.

They didn’t know that if this was considered a loss, then they had indeed lost quite a bit.

What kind of defilement was a kiss?

They probably hadn’t seen true defilement.

Shien would never tell them that of the several terabytes of images in his mind, he had already unlocked nearly half of the achievements.

In other words… their goddess was already his!

…

About half an hour later, Lildas, both physically and mentally exhausted, finally recovered a little and, led by the constantly comforting Anima, left the palace.

Sara also seemed to have only come to attend Shien’s engagement banquet and was now preparing to return, making Shien wonder why she had come in the first place.

Perhaps, just as the Moon Demon said, she just came to see Shien and Airi, to see what exactly had happened between them that made Airi openly declare her protection of Shien in front of everyone?

This wasn’t a small matter for Sara.

As she said, since it was Airi’s declaration, it was equivalent to a declaration from the entire Demon Race.

From now on, Shien would be walking the world with the name and protection of the Demon Race. Sara couldn’t possibly not come and see for herself regarding such a big matter.

However, whether the Moon Demon had noticed anything or not, she didn’t mention it after that.

But she did bring up another matter.

“My sisters, the other Demon Lords, already know about your existence, and also about your relationship with Airi.” Sara said to Shien teasingly, “They seem quite interested in you and might come looking for you one after another. They might even cause you some trouble, so be careful.”

“Seriously?” Shien was dumbfounded.

The other Demon Lords were also coming to find him?

And they might even cause him trouble?

How terrifying would that trouble be?

“It can’t be helped. Airi is the youngest among us sisters, and also the most beloved. Everyone knows her personality. She’s not someone who would casually represent the Demon Race and declare her protection of someone in the name of the Dragon Demon. Now that she has done so, it’s normal for my sisters to be interested in you.”

Sara said with a knowing smile.

“But don’t worry too much. My sisters are actually quite easy to get along with. Well, as long as you don’t encounter the one who’s too easy to get along with and the one who seems easy to get along with.”

…These words didn’t reassure Shien at all.

Especially Airi’s reaction after hearing this made Shien worried.

It was a truly unhappy expression.

“Could it be that Sister Shafney and Sister Carmina are coming?”

Airi looked resistant.

Shien wanted to ask who these two were.

But before that, Sara said nonchalantly,

“Carmina might not easily leave her territory and come to the human world, but that girl Shafney will definitely come running out of curiosity.”

Saying so, Sara patted Shien’s shoulder and gave him a look that said “good luck.”

“I hope you won’t be eaten to the bone by that girl, Hero.”

Leaving behind these unsettling words, Sara left.

“Eaten to the bone?”

Shien’s lips twitched.

He didn’t know what that meant.

He only knew that a strange chill ran down his spine.

Especially Airi, who also couldn’t help but say,

“If it’s really Sister Shafney, remember, don’t have any physical contact with her, and don’t even make eye contact with her.”

Airi said this as if facing an enemy.

“Don’t worry, you’re my person. I won’t let you become Sister Shafney’s captive.”

Alright, Shien had to admit, he was scared.

Just how terrifying was this older sister whom even Airi feared so much?

Please spare him…

Chapter 457: Manipulating Fate

“Lildas?”

At this moment, Anima was surprised.

Not only Anima, but even Airi, Sara, and Lucy were surprised.

Shien was also stunned.

Because Lucy had made it very clear that this Goddess of Fate was very stubborn.

Under such circumstances, Shien hadn’t expected this strongest goddess to apologize to him.

Shien’s intention was only to make her give him an explanation, lest she think he was someone easy to manipulate.

Unexpectedly, Lildas was so straightforward. After being lectured by him, not only wasn’t she angry, but she was even planning to apologize to him.

What… what was going on?

Shien and the others present were puzzled.

Lildas, unaware of their confusion, stood up as if she had made up her mind.

“I’m sorry! I was too impulsive!”

Lildas apologized frankly, without beating around the bush.

That wasn’t the problem.

The real problem was that while apologizing, Lildas bent down deeply, as if preparing to bow to Shien.

And then…

“Thud!”

With a heavy thud, the Goddess of Fate’s forehead slammed into the table in front of her.

Yes.

Because she bowed too forcefully, Lildas hit the table.

“Ouch!”

Lildas immediately clutched her forehead and cried out, raising her head.

But as she raised her head, Lildas leaned back too far, her feet slipping.

“Ah!”

Lildas cried out again and fell to the ground.

“Lildas!”

“Lady Lildas!”

“Goddess Lildas!”

Anima, Lucy, and Ancil exclaimed simultaneously.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Shien, Airi, and Sara, on the other hand, watched this scene, speechless.

“Waaah…”

Lildas started sobbing again, looking incredibly aggrieved.

Anima, Lucy, and Ancil hurriedly rushed over, helping her up and asking if she was alright, causing a commotion.

“Oh dear…”

Nadue, who had been watching from the side, covered her face, seemingly unable to bear watching.

Shien’s lips twitched.

Seeing the strongest goddess seemingly turning into a crybaby, sobbing non-stop, Shien finally couldn’t help but turn to Sara and ask,

“Is this really the strongest being in the current world? The ruthless person who single-handedly suppressed you and your sister a thousand years ago?”

Shien couldn’t help but doubt it.

“Well, to use a phrase from your world, this is probably what they call ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’” Sara smiled wryly. “But don’t doubt it, if we’re talking about power alone, she’s definitely second only to the Supreme God and the Demon King. There’s no doubt about that.”

Airi also added,

“Goddesses of the Divine Race are different from humans and demons. They are naturally born governing one or more domains and possess powers related to their domains.” Airi said calmly, “Their powers are their Unique Skills. Therefore, all goddesses of the Divine Race are born with Unique Skills. It can be considered a gift from this world, born from the Supreme God Omniis, to the Divine Race.”

Gods who governed fire could wield the power of fire and freely manipulate flames.

Gods who governed water could wield the power of water and freely manipulate water flow.

Goddesses of the Divine Race were like this, naturally able to use their powers to control the forces related to their domains.

Like Lilith, as the evil god who governed evil and chaos, she could manipulate the evil aura, corrupt people, turn them into evil beings, and drive them mad.

Similarly, the Goddess of Life could control life with her power, and the Goddess of Nature could control nature with her power. These were their innate Unique Skills.

Then…

“As the Goddess of Fate, the one who governs fate, what do you think her power is?”

Airi’s question made Shien hold his breath.

Because, undoubtedly, Lildas’s power was the ability to manipulate fate.

What was fate?

What one was born with was destiny.

Where one’s life led was fate.

Whether it was any existence, they all had their destiny and their fate.

Some were born rich.

Some were born poor.

Some were born with long lifespans.

Some were born with short lifespans.

This was a person’s “destiny.”

And “fate” was the journey of one’s life.

Sometimes people had good luck, sometimes bad luck, sometimes good things happened, sometimes bad things happened. That was a person’s luck, their fortune.

Being able to manipulate fate meant being able to manipulate the life, aging, illness, death, fortune, misfortune, and future of all things in the world.

In other words—omnipotence.

Therefore…

“Lildas, the Goddess of Fate, is the closest existence to omnipotence, possessing power similar in nature to that of the truly omnipotent Supreme God Omniis.”

Sara’s expression turned serious.

“If it weren’t for the fact that her power is inferior to Omniis, and her ability to manipulate fate is only similar in nature to Omniis, with some differences, she could be considered a second Supreme God.”

Therefore, Lildas was the closest existence to omnipotence, but not truly omnipotent.

But even so, she was still unmatched.

“It is said that throughout history, there have only been three beings whose fates couldn’t be manipulated by her power.”

Sara began to explain to Shien in a low voice.

“The first is naturally Omniis, the Supreme God, who possesses power greater than the Goddess of Fate and is truly omnipotent. The Goddess of Fate’s power naturally has no effect on her.”

“The second is naturally Claudis, the Demon King, whose power can even nullify the Supreme God’s power. It’s definitely not something the weaker Goddess of Fate can interfere with.”

“The third is herself. She can’t manipulate her own fate. This is proof that she hasn’t reached true omnipotence.”

Before Shien could express his thoughts, Airi added,

“Because of these three beings, the Goddess of Fate’s ability to manipulate and interfere with matters related to them also decreases depending on the situation.”

Airi said.

“For example, this world was created by Omniis, the Supreme God, so the Goddess of Fate can’t manipulate the world’s fate.”

“Another example, we Demon Lords are the closest existences to the Demon King, so the Goddess of Fate’s power can’t manipulate our fates either.”

“Moreover, since she can’t manipulate her own fate, she also can’t manipulate the fate of those she has blessed. She can only use her power to give them revelations and guidance.”

Therefore, although Lildas was the strongest goddess, she couldn’t control the course of the world, and there was a possibility of her power being resisted when fighting against Demon Lords.

“Even so, she’s still undoubtedly the strongest. Even we Demon Lords, if we don’t have at least two of us working together, will be suppressed by her.” Airi said calmly, “The only ones who can fight against this goddess one-on-one, excluding the exceptional Supreme God and Demon King, are two people.”

“One is Mitra, the strongest Hero in history, who defeated the Demon King.”

“The other is Sister Sara at night.”

Airi’s words made Shien turn his head and look at Sara unconsciously.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Sara smiled. “I’m the Moon Demon. My Unique Skill is related to the moon. Isn’t it normal for me to become stronger at night?”

…That seemed to make sense.

But…

“Even at night, I can only barely hold my own against the Goddess of Fate. I definitely can’t defeat her.” Sara said seriously. “Mitra was the same. He was probably on the same level as the Goddess of Fate, but he couldn’t guarantee victory either, right?”

“Of course not.” Airi curled her lip. “How could that guy Mitra defeat the Goddess of Fate? If it weren’t for the Supreme God helping him in the final battle, his Holy Sword wouldn’t even be able to touch Mother.”

This showed how powerful Lildas’s power was.

But it was precisely because her power was too strong that Lildas became like this.

“This Goddess of Fate has always been manipulating the fate of others with her power, guiding and leading people, for millions of years. As a result, she has developed a habit of using her power to control things. When encountering things she can’t control, she becomes incredibly clumsy.”

Airi gestured towards Lildas, who was sobbing and being comforted by Anima and Lucy.

“See? Like this.”

These words left Shien completely speechless.

So, there was such a backstory?

No wonder this goddess was so clumsy, reckless, and impulsive. It was because she couldn’t control her own fate, yet was used to manipulating the fate of others, resulting in this contrast, right?

“It’s like a child with a gun, capable of defeating any enemy, but who forgot to exercise and is now physically underdeveloped.”

Shien sighed.

But this way, Shien could rest assured.

Although Lildas’s power was broken, she was only close to omnipotence, not truly omnipotent.

At least, judging from the current situation, if Lildas couldn’t even completely control the fate of those she blessed, then she naturally couldn’t control his fate either.

He was the Hero, possessing the [Supreme God’s Blessing], completely immune to the Divine Race’s powers. And since this power came from the Supreme God, even without the effect of being immune to divine powers, he probably didn’t need to worry about being manipulated by Lildas, whose power couldn’t affect matters related to the Supreme God, right?

Thinking of this, Shien was somewhat relieved.

However, this was only in regards to his own situation.

Since Lildas’s power had no effect on Demon Lords themselves, yet she could still suppress two of them, it meant that this alone wasn’t enough to ignore this goddess’s threat.

After all, Lildas could completely manipulate the fate of other things to fight.

For example, manipulating the fate of a meteor and making it fall from the sky should be easy for her, right?

Truly broken…