Category: The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 446: Stop Your Imaginations

As the day of the engagement ceremony at the royal palace approached, the capital buzzed with anticipation.

As darkness began to fall, carriages streamed towards the palace, crossing the bridge to the heart island and entering the palace gates.

This continued for hours, highlighting the sheer number of nobles attending the engagement banquet.

Many citizens gathered to watch, gazing at the brightly lit palace, decorated for the formal engagement banquet, their hearts filled with envy.

“I really want to go in and see.”

“Me too.”

“I heard Princess Lucy will be wearing a formal dress.”

“If only I could catch a glimpse.”

“Don’t even think about it. Princess Lucy is about to be engaged to Viscount Buztout… no, I should say Earl Buztout.”

“Well… it’s just an engagement, right?”

“That’s right, just an engagement.”

“Who knows if the engagement will be called off later?”

“Exactly.”

Many people talked amongst themselves, harboring these somewhat embarrassing hopes, clinging to them like a lifeline.

After all, they still didn’t want to see Lucy marry another man.

Even if they couldn’t have her, they didn’t want others to have her either. This was a man’s base instinct.

As long as the goddess didn’t belong to anyone, she belonged to everyone. Countless people held this thought.

Perhaps, even if Lucy did get married, there would still be many in the world who admired and adored her, right?

The Kingdom’s treasure would always be the Kingdom’s treasure, deeply loved by the people.

They could only admire the princess while cursing Shien in their hearts.

Even though things had progressed to this point, and many had accepted reality, there were still many who cursed this incredibly lucky man—Shien Buztout.

“Achoo!”

In the Buztout mansion’s hall, Shien sneezed loudly.

“What’s wrong?” Vivian looked at him with concern. “Did you catch a cold?”

Vivian’s words drew the attention of all the girls in the hall to Shien.

“Are you alright, Mr. Shien?”

Melika looked at him with concern.

“Did you really catch a cold?”

Lumia still looked timid.

“You can’t fall sick at a time like this.”

Diere couldn’t help but say.

Feeling the concern of the girls, Shien touched his nose.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. I just suddenly felt like sneezing.”

Shien looked at the girls.

Four girls were gathered around him, dressed completely differently from usual.

The members of Vivian’s squad had all changed out of their usual adventurer attire and put on formal dresses.

Melika wore a long green dress that complemented her naturally flowing hair, looking like an elven princess at a ball, not stunningly beautiful, but definitely fresh, pure, and lovely.

Lumia wore a light yellow short dress, her fair legs exposed, looking smooth and delicate, making one want to pinch them. She had been feeling uncomfortable since getting dressed and was still fidgeting.

Even Diere had taken off her usual gloomy black robe and put on a simple yet stylish black dress, similar to Lumia’s short dress, but with off-shoulder sleeves. Her eye-catching purple hair was tied into braids and hung down her front, making her look like a cool little witch, although the mask still covering the upper half of her face somewhat spoiled the image.

And the most eye-catching one was undoubtedly Vivian.

Because Vivian had taken off her full-body armor, which she always wore, finally revealing her figure.

It was a curvy, alluring, and sexy figure, no less than Sara’s, truly stunning.

Vivian wore a dark blue dress and high heels, the skirt slightly long, so she held the sides of the skirt with her hands, giving her an indescribably elegant gait.

Shien still remembered that when he first saw Vivian like this, he was stunned for several seconds.

It couldn’t be helped.

In terms of beauty, Shien had seen more beautiful women than Vivian.

Both Lucy and Nien were more beautiful than Vivian.

And Shien had already “eaten” one and kept the other as a backup (Nien: Achoo!), so it was difficult for someone to surprise him with their looks.

The reason Vivian could achieve this was entirely because her current appearance was so different from her usual look, stunning Shien for a few seconds.

Looking at these four girls with their different styles, yet equally beautiful and charming, Shien suddenly understood why Vivian’s squad needed to be so wary of male adventurers approaching them in Larmigion.

The reason was simple: these four girls together were simply too attractive.

However, today, these four charming girls dressed up like this to attend Shien’s engagement banquet.

As the first people Shien met after coming to this world, and his teammates who had been living under the same roof as him for the past few months, the four girls naturally received invitations from the royal family to attend Shien’s engagement banquet.

Of course, besides Vivian, who was raised in a noble family, the other three were initially apprehensive about this.

“I… I’ve never attended such a high-class banquet…!”

“M-me neither…!”

Melika and Lumia almost panicked.

Diere frowned for a long time when she heard about attending the banquet, clearly not wanting to go.

But in the end, all three decided to attend.

The reason was Vivian’s words.

“This is Shien’s engagement banquet. Are you sure you want to be absent?”

These words silenced the three girls, and they finally mustered their courage and decided to attend Shien’s engagement banquet.

As for Airi, she was naturally also present.

“…I didn’t know we had to dress like this.”

Airi looked displeased.

This Dragon Demon Princess also wore a formal dress, a bright red one, with off-shoulder sleeves and a short skirt, two ribbons and gauze hanging down from the back of the skirt.

It had to be said that this dress suited Airi very well.

Although it took quite a while to prepare this dress (mainly because the fabric in some areas was too small, and the dress was too tight, requiring significant alterations to fit), the Dragon Demon, who once made the three realms tremble, actually had such a stunning side, making it worth the effort.

She protested and complained many times, but Shien silenced her with one sentence.

“You said you wanted to attend my engagement banquet, so of course, you have to wear a formal dress, right?”

Shien said.

Airi wanted to say that no matter the occasion, she wouldn’t wear such troublesome clothes.

It was true.

In the past, Airi had never worn a formal dress, nor had she attended any public occasions. She would only appear before a select few when absolutely necessary.

Such an Airi wouldn’t consider the dress code. She would always wear what she wanted.

In other words, wearing a formal dress like this was also a first for Airi.

Airi wanted to say something, but seeing Shien’s admiring gaze, she swallowed her words for some reason.

In the end, Airi could only say,

“Only you could make me do this.”

Airi sighed with strong dissatisfaction.

“That’s quite an honor.” Shien shrugged. “By the way, are you really that uncomfortable? The fabric of that dress should be quite expensive, right?”

Especially since this little girl was well-endowed, and the dress didn’t skimp on fabric in certain areas, it cost Shien quite a bit.

Therefore, Shien was a bit annoyed by Airi’s dissatisfied expression.

Who would have thought…

“…You wouldn’t understand.” Airi suddenly fell silent, then said in a strangely heavy tone, “If I showed even the slightest interest in clothes, then ten thousand years ago, I would have become my sisters’ dress-up doll, forced to play dress-up games with them.”

…Alright, two seconds of silence for her.

That being said…

“Since you’ve gone through the trouble of wearing a dress, can you put away that unsightly pillow?”

Shien finally couldn’t help but complain.

Yes.

Airi was still holding her pillow in front of her, even though she was wearing a different outfit than usual, still covering herself tightly.

This made Shien, who had been hoping for a feast for the eyes, very dissatisfied.

But this was Airi’s bottom line, something she wouldn’t compromise on, no matter what.

“You’re an exception, but I don’t intend to let other men see my body so casually.”

Airi snorted, her words filled with double entendre.

“S-see my body casually…!?”

“W-w-w-what…!”

Melika and Lumia were shocked.

“Shien…”

“Did you…”

Vivian and Diere also looked at Shien differently.

“Wait! Stop your imaginations! Nothing like that happened!”

Shien shuddered and quickly explained.

But his explanation didn’t convince the girls, only making them skeptical.

Shien was on the verge of tears.

At this moment, a small hand tugged at Shien’s sleeve, making him lower his head and look to the side.

There, Lilith was standing quietly, looking up at him.

This little goddess was also wearing a formal dress, but unlike Airi’s bright red one, Lilith’s dress was pure white.

Although she was an evil god, this pure white dress suited her perfectly.

Shien couldn’t help but reach out and pat Lilith’s head.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Shien said.

A minute later, Yulin roared and flew out of the Buztout mansion, heading towards the palace.

Chapter 445: She’ll Definitely Be Devoured!

Finally, the day of Shien and Lucy’s engagement arrived.

On this day, no businesses were open, and no one was working in the royal capital. Instead, various entertainment activities and celebratory parties were held.

Led by the Kingdom Knight Order, a grand parade was held in the capital.

Festive music echoed through the streets and alleys, its source unknown.

Every household hung curtains and lit magic lamps different from usual, as if it were a grand festival, filled with laughter and joy.

Under the deliberate promotion and guidance of the royal palace, the entire capital was the first to celebrate this historical engagement banquet.

Naturally, the same was true in other cities.

Even though some people were still unwilling to celebrate Lucy’s engagement, the royal family had decreed a nationwide celebration, so even if they were unwilling, they still had to put on a show.

Therefore, the entire Kingdom was truly in a festive atmosphere.

Even adventurers wouldn’t work on this day. Except for those who accepted special commissions to contribute to the engagement banquet, the rest of the adventurers were feasting and drinking in the Adventurers’ Guild.

Their conversations were quite interesting.

“The princess is getting married, and my youth is over.”

“Don’t say that, it’s just an engagement, not the actual wedding yet.”

“Even if it’s just an engagement, it’s still enviable.”

“Yeah.”

Such discussions were common in the Adventurers’ Guild.

Meanwhile, in Larmigion, at the Adventurers’ Guild, a large group of adventurers were also sighing.

“I didn’t expect that kid, who was only level ten and looked down upon by everyone, to not only become an Earl, but also get engaged to Princess Lucy.”

“Just a few months ago, that guy was an adventurer just like us.”

“We’re all adventurers, why is there such a huge difference?”

“The gods must be blind.”

“That’s right.”

“That devil, I don’t know why he’s so lucky.”

“If I had known, I would have also accepted that guild commission to the royal capital.”

“If I had gone then, maybe I would be the one engaged to the princess.”

“Yeah, I could do it too.”

A group of adventurers complained, as if they had eaten tons of lemons.

Leon was also among them.

His teammates had changed.

Magray had been killed by Bedo, and Eudylis was also gone.

However, Leon still managed to recruit two high-level adventurers with his methods.

Both were female adventurers, both above level forty, considered high-level in Larmigion.

Unfortunately, not every high-level female adventurer was good-looking.

The two female adventurers with Leon now were just like that, one with an indescribable appearance, the other as sturdy as a man.

These two clung to Leon affectionately, ignoring the disdain and disgust of the people around them, feeding Leon in cloying voices.

“Try this, Master Leon.”

“Master Leon is also very happy, with us sisters doting on you, you’re no less fortunate than that Shien, right?”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

“Come on, let others see how happy we are, Master Leon.”

The two female adventurers smiled sweetly, but their appearances and figures made Leon’s smile extremely strained.

Looking at these two teammates with their unique appearances, and recalling Lucy’s beauty he had seen in the capital, at this moment, the envy and jealousy in Leon’s heart were stronger than anyone else’s.

“I also went to the capital, why didn’t such a great opportunity come to me?”

For Leon, who had always wanted to become a noble, everything about Shien was now the object of his envy and jealousy.

They had gone to the capital together, and now, Shien was not only engaged to the most beautiful woman in the human world, the Kingdom’s treasure, but had also become a noble, not just any noble, but a viscount, and was now about to become an Earl, a true high-ranking noble. Moreover, with the support of the Divine Race and the Demon Race, his future achievements and status were unimaginable.

This was hard for Leon to accept.

It wasn’t that Leon lacked self-awareness, but just a few months ago, when they went to the capital together, their statuses were equal. Now, the gap between them had become so huge, it was truly unbearable.

Especially their experiences, which were worlds apart.

Shien became a noble in the capital, while Leon was humiliated in the capital, forced to return to the countryside and continue his miserable existence.

Shien was favored by the princess in the capital, while Leon was looked down upon by his female companion in the capital, his status plummeting.

Eudylis, who had once regarded all the beautiful women around Leon as enemies, after going to the capital and seeing more outstanding men, completely lost interest in Leon after returning to Larmigion.

The reason why Eudylis wasn’t here now wasn’t because of anything else, but because she had dumped him and gone to the capital with her family’s large merchant group.

It was said that Eudylis was preparing to inherit her family’s magic tool business, training and working at their branch in the capital.

And her goal was simple: to marry into a wealthy family, become a noble’s wife, or a concubine of a high-ranking noble, and enjoy a life of luxury in the future.

Leon wanted to cry.

He really wanted to cry.

“Master Leon“

“Master Leon“

Beside him, his two sturdy teammates continued to call him in their cloying voices.

The forced smile on Leon’s face became uglier than crying.

Leon marrying these two sisters and living as a househusband would happen later.

As for now, Leon was still fantasizing.

“One day, I will also become a man envied by everyone, just like that Shien…!”

For this, Leon swallowed all his bitterness and resentment, opening his mouth and biting into the food his two teammates brought to his lips.

The scene was truly pathetic.

At the same time, Relia wasn’t at the guild, but in a simple small residence, accompanying seven adorable little girls.

These seven little girls all had dog ears and tails, seemingly less than ten years old, each resembling Lumia somewhat, lined up before Relia.

“It seems everyone is ready.” Relia nodded with satisfaction and smiled. “In a few days, I’ll take you all to the royal capital. How about that?”

Hearing this, the little girls’ eyes lit up.

One of them immediately raised her hand.

“Sister Relia, is our older sister in the royal capital?”

The other little girls also looked at Relia timidly, their eyes shining.

“Yes.” Relia wouldn’t lie to these little girls and said affectionately, “Your older sister is in the capital, waiting for you.”

These words were met with eager questions from the little girls.

“We’re going to live in the royal capital from now on, right?”

“I heard there’s a big, big house for us to live in!”

“It’s our sister’s teammate’s house!”

“No, it’s our sister’s man’s house!”

“I heard it’s the princess’s house!”

“I’m so excited!”

The little girls chattered excitedly, lively and cheerful.

Especially the phrase “sister’s man,” which surprised Relia.

“Where did you hear that?”

Relia asked quickly.

The little girls answered without hesitation.

“The old lady next door told us!”

“We showed her the letter our sister sent us!”

“Because we couldn’t understand it!”

“The old lady said that in the letter, our sister said she’s now living in a very amazing man’s house!”

“Grandma also said that a cute girl like our sister, living in a boy’s house, will definitely be devoured!”

“So, that’s our sister’s man!”

“I just don’t know what ‘devoured’ means!”

The little girls chattered again, making Relia’s head hurt.

“Oh no, this is a huge misunderstanding…”

Relia sighed, thinking to herself.

“Forget it, let Lumia deal with it herself.”

Why did those girls suddenly say they wouldn’t return to Larmigion and wanted to settle down in the capital?

Relia herself was startled when she first received the news.

Especially considering Vivian and Diere’s special circumstances, those two shouldn’t want to stay in the capital permanently.

Who would have thought that this time, they had decided to stay there together?

“Who is this all because of?”

Relia muttered to herself, thinking of that incredible man.

“I really didn’t expect him to become the fiancé of that perfect princess, whom I can’t even bring myself to envy, in just a few months.”

But thinking about it carefully, with his status, he seemed more than worthy of Lucy.

“I just don’t know if Vivian and the others are also…”

Otherwise, why would they want to stay in the capital?

“Really…”

Relia chuckled.

Outside, the festive atmosphere continued.

The engagement banquet between Shien and Lucy was about to begin.

…

Royal Capital, Temple on the Lake’s Heart Island.

In the deepest part of the temple, in a sanctuary where no one could pry, a radiant gate suddenly appeared and opened, and a figure slowly walked out.

It was a goddess.

Her skin was like snow, her hair cascaded like a waterfall, her figure graceful, tall, and beautiful. She had long, white hair, blue eyes, and wore a white robe.

“It’s been a long time since I came to the human world.”

The beautiful goddess sighed, as if reminiscing.

But after a while, only indignation remained on her face.

“I’ll see who dares to steal my beloved blessed one.”

“Shien Buztout, was it?”

“Just you wait.”

Filled with indignation and hostility, the strongest goddess of the current era stepped out of the temple.

Chapter 444: “Seriously? No Way?”

Hearing Harvis’s words, Shien didn’t feel relieved, but instead frowned.

“Giving up because they’re wary of me?”

On the surface, this seemed like the most likely scenario.

After all, the power and influence Shien displayed this time far exceeded people’s expectations. It was normal for the Empire not to want to offend Shien and not believe they could capture anyone from him.

Some might think, “It’s easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to defend against an arrow in the dark.” Even if Shien was powerful, wouldn’t it be enough to just kidnap Diere discreetly?

Diere was just Diere, after all. She couldn’t stay with Shien all the time. Once they separated, there would still be plenty of opportunities.

However, don’t forget, Melika was also separated from Shien before, but when Melika was in danger, Shien arrived in time.

Perhaps it was simply because of the Goddess of Nature’s revelation that Shien knew about it, but who could guarantee that the Goddess of Nature wouldn’t give Shien another revelation if something happened to Diere?

Therefore, it was understandable that the Raifurut family would want to give up.

However…

“The Raifurut family wanted to target Diere because of Mara’s instructions, right?”

Then, would Mara be deterred by the power and influence Shien displayed?

Impossible.

The reason was simple.

“If Mara, as I suspect, is the mastermind behind the Cosmos incident who collaborated with [Mirage], then she likely knows everything I did in Cosmos.”

Including Shien single-handedly defeating the beastmen priest group, the annihilation of [Mirage] at Shien’s hands, and even Shien using the Holy Sword and going all out against Lilith.

In other words, this Mara likely knew Shien’s identity.

Even if she didn’t know Shien’s identity, she would still know that Shien possessed extraordinary strength and had even subdued Lilith.

But even so, she still sent the Raifurut family to the capital. What did this prove?

It proved that she wouldn’t give up on her goal just because of Shien’s strength and the power behind him.

Then, why did the Raifurut family suddenly withdraw from the capital and abandon their plan at this time?

Shien felt that there was something more to this.

Harvis, on the other hand, seemed to have already made up his mind.

“I came here to ask you, what are you planning to do next?” Harvis looked at Shien and whispered, “I promised to help you eliminate the Raifurut family. That promise is still valid.”

Shien understood what he meant.

“Are you planning to intercept them on their way back?”

Shien understood Harvis’s plan.

“That’s right.” Harvis didn’t hide anything and said frankly, “Although the movements of that elite assassination squad are very secretive, and it’s difficult to find out their route, based on my observation, Wolram should be going to meet up with them.”

Therefore, Harvis planned to send people to follow Wolram when he left the capital, until they found the elite assassination squad.

Then, they would find an opportunity to eliminate them all in one fell swoop.

“Will that work?” Shien looked at Harvis. “If they’re elites in assassination, then it should be difficult for your people to track them, right?”

“It is indeed difficult.” Harvis didn’t deny it, but looked directly at Shien. “But I have to do this. Otherwise, I’m not qualified to cooperate with you, am I?”

Shien smiled noncommittally.

Harvis was right.

If he couldn’t even deal with a small fry like Wolram and a ten-person elite assassination squad, how could he possibly deal with the Raifurut family, let alone Mara, and overthrow his father?

Shien could help him achieve this, but why should he go to such lengths for Harvis?

Since it was a cooperation, if Harvis didn’t show sufficient ability and competence, Shien wouldn’t need his help. He could directly descend upon the Imperial capital with Airi and Lilith and cause havoc. That would be better than cooperating with a useless prince.

Harvis was smart and knew that he had to show his worth. Otherwise, this so-called cooperative relationship wouldn’t last.

And Shien also believed that Harvis must have some other tricks up his sleeve.

With his charisma that could even win over Rockto, the Empire’s number one legendary knight, Shien didn’t believe that this prince didn’t have other powerful subordinates.

Perhaps among these capable individuals, there was someone who could track Wolram and the other elite assassins of the Raifurut family?

Shien was looking forward to it.

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Your Highness.”

Shien readily entrusted the matter to Harvis again.

“Leave it to me.”

A confident expression appeared on Harvis’s face.

They chatted for a bit, then parted ways.

Harvis left the Buztout mansion with Rockto.

However, before leaving, Rockto, who had been silent, suddenly said,

“You’re very strong, Viscount Buztout.” Rockto said seriously. “I’m someone who always wants to fight against strong opponents. I’ve always regarded Aldia as my target.”

Rockto’s words had only one meaning.

“Now, I might have to add another person to my list of targets.” Rockto looked directly at Shien, his eyes filled with fighting spirit. “I hope to have the chance to fight against you.”

Leaving these words behind, Rockto left with Harvis.

Shien was stunned for a long time, then rolled his eyes.

“Please find another protagonist for this passionate, battle-hungry plot. I’m not interested.”

That’s what Shien thought.

Shien didn’t know that at this moment, Nadue, who was by his side, was struggling.

“Should I tell him what the Raifurut family is planning?”

Nadue naturally knew about this.

This goddess, who had been monitoring Shien, had been paying attention to this matter since Shien and Harvis mentioned Mara.

Although Nadue had to focus most of her energy on Shien and couldn’t monitor other places, for things she was concerned about, this goddess, merged with nature and theoretically able to monitor the entire natural world, could still divide a small part of her attention and discover some of the things happening elsewhere.

The same went for the Raifurut family. Nadue had already seen through their plans.

If she told Shien now, their conspiracy would naturally be foiled.

However, should she tell him?

“For that child named Melika, I can still use my identity as the Goddess of Nature, the highest deity of the Elven Race, as an excuse.”

“But the Raifurut family’s matter has nothing to do with me.”

“If I tell him about this, he will definitely start to wonder why I know so much about what’s happening around him, right?”

Then, the fact that she was monitoring him would probably be exposed.

This made Nadue hesitate.

After thinking about it, Nadue decided.

“I’ll leave it alone for now.”

With Shien’s abilities, he might be able to resolve this matter himself.

If anything unexpected happened, she could always remind him then.

As for now…

“Let’s just let this Hero get married in peace.”

Nadue couldn’t help but smile.

“I wonder if Lildas already knows that the blessed one she regards as her own daughter is about to get married.”

If she knew, what would her reaction be?

Just thinking about it made Nadue amused.

Unfortunately, Nadue didn’t know that the situation was far more serious than she imagined.

…

Divine Realm, a floating island near the central island.

This was the divine island where Anima, the Goddess of Life, resided.

Unlike the Goddess of Nature’s island, which was full of natural scenery like forests and lakes, the Goddess of Life’s island was like a large ecological park, not only with various environments, but also with numerous life forms.

They were all animals.

Some were common on earth, some were rare and endangered species, and even some extinct ancient creatures, everything imaginable, making the entire divine island a habitat for thousands of species, full of life and vitality.

At this moment, Anima returned to her divine island from the outside, walking towards the central temple, her face deep in thought.

“There’s no problem with the seal. The Hero Summoning Ritual is still properly sealed. That’s certain.”

Anima had just gone to the corner of the Divine Realm where the Hero Summoning Ritual was sealed to check on the state of the seal.

The seal, personally set by Omniis, the Supreme God, was still active, and no one but her could enter.

Although Anima couldn’t enter, since the seal was intact, it meant that there was no major problem with the Hero Summoning Ritual.

“At least, no one can enter the sealed place and activate the Hero Summoning.” Anima muttered to herself, “In that case, why was the Hero Summoning activated?”

This question remained unanswered.

“If only Mother Goddess was still awake…”

Anima couldn’t help but think this, then shook her head, dispelling this unrealistic thought.

She knew that Omnipotence, having lost the Demon King, no longer had anything that could pique the Mother Goddess’s interest.

It was impossible for the Mother Goddess to wake up.

“I should consult the ancient texts on the Hero Summoning. Perhaps I can find some clues.”

Anima decided on her next course of action.

At this moment, a goddess hurriedly came to Anima.

“L-Lady Anima! Something terrible has happened!”

The goddess looked very anxious.

“What is it?”

Anima was stunned.

The next moment, Anima’s expression changed.

“Lady Lildas has gone to the human world!”

The goddess said with a mournful face.

“What did you say?”

Anima was shocked.

Chapter 443: “The Next One Will Definitely Be Me…!”

No matter how frustrated Shien felt, his marriage was inevitable, and he didn’t intend to avoid it.

Thanks to this, the royal capital spent these three days in a bustling and noisy atmosphere.

Although some people couldn’t accept this and did some foolish things, such as commoners organizing protests and some reckless young masters sneaking into the Buztout mansion, attempting some mischief, in the end, their fates were often tragic.

The latter, needless to say, their families, not wanting to follow in the footsteps of the Lucica family, wouldn’t take them back. Therefore, they either became Yulin’s dessert, or had their limbs broken and were thrown out, expelled from their families. Their future was bleak.

The former were forcibly suppressed by the Kingdom Knight Order. Because both the righteous cause (marriage to avert disaster) and the reason (Lucy’s willingness) were on the royal family’s side, even many commoners acknowledged this. Only these radical individuals continued to cause trouble, and naturally, there was no need to be polite, using force to control them.

During these three days, despite the noise, the commotion, the constant disputes, and the minor incidents, none of them affected Shien and Lucy’s marriage.

Therefore, under the instructions of the royal family, the palace methodically prepared for the engagement banquet of Lucy, the world’s number one princess, and continuously sent invitations to the dignitaries still in the capital.

The fact that dignitaries from various human countries were gathered in the capital made it convenient for the engagement banquet.

At least, the royal family didn’t have to worry about spending too much time inviting guests from all over the world.

Since everyone was already in the capital, sending out invitations was a breeze.

Even though many noble sons were very unhappy about this engagement banquet, not wanting to see the goddess in their hearts engaged to another man, under the current circumstances, they had to give face to avoid offending the Buztout family.

This might be the grandest engagement banquet in history.

After all, which princess had ever invited dignitaries from all over the human world to her engagement banquet?

If it weren’t for Shien and Lucy’s special statuses, such a grand engagement banquet wouldn’t be possible.

Therefore, many people already believed that this might be the grandest and most prestigious engagement banquet ever, unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated.

Because of this, the royal family also decided to make this engagement banquet a national celebration.

What did this mean?

It meant that on the day of the engagement banquet, all citizens of the Kingdom would have a holiday and participate in banquets held by their local lords.

Ancil, as the king, personally decreed that all cities across the country had to hold a banquet on the day of the engagement banquet to celebrate the engagement of Earl Buztout and Princess Lucy.

And all expenses for the banquets would be reimbursed by the Kingdom to the local nobles.

When this news spread, all the cities in the Kingdom were filled with a festive atmosphere.

In this atmosphere, many opposing voices disappeared. Perhaps this was Ancil’s intention.

This way, even if Shien wanted to back out, he couldn’t, right?

“…If I back out now, not only will Lucy kill me, but the entire Kingdom will as well.”

Shien strongly suspected that this was also one of Ancil’s goals.

This king seemed determined to finalize his marriage with Lucy.

It made sense.

“Now you’re not just a promising rising star in the eyes of the royal family, but an important figure with the support of the Divine Race, the Demon Race, a Demon Lord, and a mysterious expert, and your own strength is also terrifying. Although you destroyed the noble district and even annihilated a Duke, a member of the royal family, right in front of the King, greatly humiliating the royal family and the Kingdom, compared to offending you, Father definitely wants to win you over and tie you to the Kingdom.”

Lucy had said these words with a hint of helplessness, making Shien shrug.

In fact, Shien could also feel that Ancil’s attitude towards him had changed.

Before, Ancil was enthusiastic and optimistic about Shien, but that was all.

But now, Ancil’s attitude towards Shien was more than just enthusiasm and optimism. From time to time, he could see a hint of apprehension and caution.

This was an attitude only shown towards those of equal or higher status.

This showed that Ancil no longer dared to treat Shien casually as he did before.

Lia, Lucy’s older sister, also treated Shien differently now.

Although on the surface, this First Princess of the Kingdom seemed to be the same as before, capable and somewhat playful, Shien felt that every now and then, Lia would look at him with a complicated gaze.

That gaze, filled with bitterness, confusion, melancholy, relief, release, and even a hint of gratitude, often puzzled Shien.

Only later did Shien learn that Lia acted this way because he had killed her fiancé, freeing her from the shackles of that unwanted engagement.

After the Lucica family incident, when Shien saw Lia, her first words were,

“I might not be able to repay this enormous favor in my lifetime, so from now on, your matters are my matters. As long as it’s your matter, if I can help, no matter the cost, I will.”

These words left a deep impression on Shien.

Because later, Lia did help Shien a lot.

Of course, it was still too early to talk about this now.

Currently, Lia had just been freed from her unhappy engagement and was the least influential and powerful member of the royal family, besides the collateral branches.

She still had a long way to go. It would probably be a long time before she could truly help Shien.

As for now, what Lia could do for Shien was to help him and Lucy organize their engagement banquet as best as possible.

Therefore, Lia volunteered and took on the responsibility, becoming the chief organizer and planner of the entire engagement banquet.

All matters related to the banquet were handed over to her, and she handled them efficiently and smoothly.

As a result, Shien, the protagonist of the engagement banquet, spent these three days peacefully, without any disturbances or busyness.

With Lia handling the banquet, Shien didn’t have to worry about anything.

Even for some necessary communication and coordination, Shien had Vivian handle it for him, making Vivian look at him resentfully these past few days.

Diere, Lumia, and Melika continued their training as usual, even training harder than before for some reason, as if stimulated by something.

Leisha and Lasha were nowhere to be seen, acting mysteriously, no one knew where they went.

Shien, enjoying his leisure, spent his days playing with Lilith at home or coaxing Airi, making Lilith increasingly clingy to him, and Airi finally stopped being angry and let Shien go.

However, for some reason, Airi said,

“I’ll attend the engagement banquet.”

Hearing these words, Shien thought that this little girl was still angry and planned to ruin his engagement banquet.

Airi never attended any banquets.

According to her, she wasn’t interested in such things, didn’t want to participate, and even found them annoying.

Rather than attending some banquet, Airi would rather stay home and sleep.

Shien understood Airi, which was why he thought she wanted to ruin his engagement banquet.

Airi seemed to see through Shien’s thoughts.

But she expressed her disdain.

“Don’t worry, that Kingdom’s treasure is barely worthy of being your concubine, so I won’t cause any trouble.”

After saying that, Airi left.

Shien was stunned for a long time.

It couldn’t be helped.

“…I’m marrying an official wife, not a concubine…”

He increasingly felt that this little girl might cause trouble that day.

He decided to leave Lilith in Airi’s care on the day of the engagement banquet.

With Lilith clinging to her and watching her, she probably wouldn’t be able to do anything significant.

Shien didn’t know that the one he should be truly worried about wasn’t Airi, but someone else.

“Damn it, I was the one who came first, I was the one who came first…!”

In a corner of the Divine Realm, Nien, knowing the whole story, was going crazy.

If she wasn’t worried about being discovered by Nadue, Nien would have summoned Shien, locked him up for a few days, and directly ruined the engagement banquet.

Her Hero was actually about to get married. This made Nien both unhappy and on the verge of tears.

“The next one will definitely be me…!”

The delusional goddess continued to mutter her oath.

At the same time, within the Divine Race and the Demon Race, some people were also making moves regarding this engagement banquet.

It was conceivable that the day of the engagement banquet would be very lively.

However, the day before the engagement banquet, Shien received a visitor.

“What brings you here, Prince Harvis?”

In the reception hall of the Buztout mansion, Shien appeared and teased Harvis, who was brought in by a maid.

The visitor was Harvis, accompanied by Rockto.

Rockto, following behind Harvis like a loyal guard, looked at Shien with a somewhat complicated gaze.

Clearly, Shien’s previously displayed strength and the power behind him had impressed even this somewhat aloof strongest expert of the Empire.

Harvis, on the other hand, still had his usual gentle smile, unchanged.

“Congratulations on winning the beauty’s hand and your upcoming engagement to the Kingdom’s treasure, Viscount Buztout.” Harvis said, “No, I should address you as Earl Buztout now, right?”

“My title hasn’t been officially promoted yet, so I’m still a viscount.” Shien curled his lip. “Even if I’m promoted to Earl, it’s still nothing in front of an Imperial Prince. You don’t have to flatter me, Your Highness.”

“Flatter?” Harvis chuckled. “Nowadays, who would still think of Earl Buztout as a mere Viscount or Earl?”

With the support of the Divine Race and the Demon Race, and the strength he had displayed, even the entire human race was wary of Shien, let alone a mere Imperial Prince like him.

Harvis wasn’t flattering him, but simply stating the truth.

Ever since Shien revealed his strength, Harvis had already foreseen that this adventurer-turned-noble would soar to great heights.

Whether it was in terms of strength, status, or ability, Shien would far surpass him.

Harvis, with this self-awareness, wouldn’t put on airs as an Imperial Prince in front of Shien.

“Alright, Your Highness, you’re not here to flatter me and curry favor with me like those nobles lining up at the gate, are you?” Shien said directly, not bothering with pleasantries. “What? Is the Raifurut family planning something?”

Shien hadn’t forgotten that he needed to help Diere deal with the Raifurut family’s elite assassination squad.

Shien had done many things these past few days, but this was the one he was most concerned about.

Because this was something that could actually threaten the people around him.

If possible, Shien really wanted to eliminate them as soon as possible.

If they were already making a move, then Shien could act.

Thinking of this, Shien perked up.

However, at this moment, Harvis sighed.

“Indeed, the Raifurut family has made a move.” Harvis said, “However, this move might not be what we want to see.”

“Not what we want to see?” Shien was slightly taken aback.

Harvis didn’t keep him in suspense.

“I received some news.” Harvis looked at Shien. “It seems the Raifurut family’s elite assassination squad is preparing to withdraw from the capital.”

“What?” Shien was surprised. “Withdraw from the capital?”

“That’s right.” Harvis said helplessly. “Not only the elite assassination squad, but even Wolram is planning to return to the Empire. It seems they’ve decided to give up on targeting Diere Elvenbein.”

“This…” Shien was puzzled.

Why did they suddenly give up?

Shien, thinking this way, didn’t know that his display of strength not only deterred the small fry, but also his enemies.

Harvis said,

“It’s not hard to understand why the Raifurut family gave up on this operation.”

“Because they’ve witnessed your true strength, the power behind you, and have become wary.”

“In other words, they weighed the pros and cons and ultimately felt that they had no chance against Diere Elvenbein, who is under your protection.”

“This should be the reason why they abandoned this operation, right?”

Chapter 442: But I’m Bigger Than Her!

The next morning, the royal palace, on behalf of Lucy and the entire Kingdom, announced the news to the world.

Lucy had decided to end the husband selection competition.

“After careful consideration and selection, Princess Lucy has personally decided to marry Viscount Buztout.”

“Effective immediately, Viscount Buztout will become Princess Lucy’s fiancé, and an engagement banquet will be held in three days, inviting dignitaries from various countries to attend.”

“In recognition of Viscount Buztout’s outstanding performance, His Majesty will also bestow upon him a higher title on the day of the engagement banquet.”

When this news spread throughout the royal capital, it caused a sensation no less than the series of incidents caused by the Lucica family.

“As expected…”

Some insightful people had already guessed this outcome and sighed inwardly.

“No! This is impossible!”

Most of the noble sons couldn’t believe this news.

“It’s actually settled just like that?”

“Isn’t this… too fast?”

“Your Highness…”

Even the ordinary citizens of the capital couldn’t immediately digest this shocking news, feeling dazed and unreal.

Therefore, on this day, the heart island was once again packed with people, a large crowd gathering in front of the palace, creating a huge commotion.

People wanted to confirm the authenticity of this news.

Many still clung to a glimmer of hope, thinking it was just a rumor.

Therefore, they needed a statement from the Kingdom, a statement from the royal family, before they would accept this.

But the one who appeared before everyone wasn’t a high-ranking official of the Kingdom, nor King Ancil, but Lucy, who usually only appeared during the midday public appearance ceremony.

Yes.

Lucy herself appeared in person.

And Lucy personally confirmed this matter.

“Viscount Buztout is a very outstanding person.”

“And even I admire outstanding heroes.”

“Therefore, I hope everyone can support and acknowledge us. That would be the greatest blessing for us.”

Lucy said these words, then, ignoring the stunned crowd, turned and returned to the palace.

What would happen next was predictable.

Those who accepted their fate did so.

Those who were unwilling would continue to make a fuss.

The citizens had various reactions, some agreeing, some objecting, some calm, some agitated.

Under such circumstances, the news of Shien’s promotion to Earl seemed insignificant, and no one even asked about it.

Normally, this would also be a hot topic.

As mentioned before, although there was only one rank difference between Earl and Viscount, their statuses were completely different.

Barons and Viscounts were at the bottom of the noble hierarchy, insignificant nobles, bestowed upon adventurers and commoners who made meritorious contributions.

But Earls were different.

Marquises and Earls were in the upper echelon of the nobility, true high-ranking nobles.

Becoming an Earl meant that the entire family had made sufficient contributions to the Kingdom, gained their recognition, and truly entered the upper class.

Only at this level could one become the lord of a faction, start forming alliances, and establish a noble circle, a power base.

Only at this level could one enter the Kingdom’s decision-making level, aiming for the center of power and becoming an existence capable of influencing the Kingdom’s future.

At least, Barons and Viscounts couldn’t freely enter and exit the palace, nor could they attend major events. For example, during Shien’s first audience, only the Royal Knights and nobles of Earl rank and above could appear in the royal hall.

Therefore, in noble circles, the difference between an Earl and a Viscount was like heaven and earth, even greater than the difference between a Duke and an Earl.

This was a dividing line.

Crossing this line meant rising to prominence, bringing honor to one’s ancestors, and making one’s family name go down in history in the Kingdom, ensuring its continuation as a prominent family.

Therefore, ordinary Barons and Viscounts had to spend decades, even centuries, accumulating fame, wealth, connections, and achievements, continuously contributing to the Kingdom, before finally being promoted to higher ranks.

Shien, however, went from a mere adventurer to a high-ranking noble like an Earl in just a few months. This was unprecedented in the Kingdom’s history.

Such a thing would undoubtedly cause a huge sensation.

But now, because of Shien and Lucy’s engagement, this matter was overshadowed, showing Lucy’s status in the hearts of the Kingdom’s people and the impact of this incident.

In short, the royal capital was once again in an uproar.

…

Unlike the bustling and noisy royal capital, the atmosphere in the Buztout mansion was different.

“Congratulations on officially becoming Princess Lucy’s fiancé, Shien.”

With Vivian’s proud congratulations, everyone offered their congratulations to Shien.

“Congratulations.”

Diere said calmly.

“C-congratulations, Mr. Shien.”

Lumia also hurriedly congratulated him.

“C-congratulations…”

Melika seemed a bit reluctant, but still congratulated Shien softly with a pout.

“””””Congratulations, Master Shien!”””””

All the maids and servants in the house lined up neatly, bowing to Shien and cheering in unison.

“Th-thank you…”

Shien chuckled dryly, either because he wasn’t used to it or because he felt awkward, constantly scratching his face.

“Hmph.”

Airi, either just woken up or dragged over, was also present, but unlike the others, she didn’t offer congratulations, but looked rather displeased.

“?”

Lilith tilted her head, confused, seemingly not knowing what was happening.

And Leisha and Lasha were also there.

“Congratulations, Mr. Shien.”

Lasha’s tone was even more indifferent than Diere’s.

“I also have to congratulate you on successfully becoming the public enemy of all men in the human world.”

Leisha teased, nudging Shien’s side with her elbow, making him want to punch her.

The girls living in the Buztout mansion had all gathered.

Their purpose was simply to celebrate with Shien.

This was indeed something worth celebrating.

“I bet the people in Larmigion were shocked when they received this news.” Diere said, her tone unreadable. “Who would have thought that that novice adventurer, who was only level ten a few months ago, would not only be promoted to Earl, but also be engaged to the Kingdom’s treasure?”

Indeed.

“I don’t know about others, but Relia was definitely shocked.” Vivian smiled wryly. “I just received her letter. It’s full of questions about this matter. Even between the lines, I can tell she’s still skeptical.”

In fact, Vivian had also received letters from Belen and the others.

Those who had come to the royal capital with Shien couldn’t believe that in just a few months, this adventurer had become the fiancé of the Kingdom’s most sought-after princess. It was simply too fantastical.

“I… I think I heard Mr. Leon telling others that he envied Mr. Shien…”

Lumia said weakly.

“…My elven friends in Larmigion are also asking me about this.”

Melika was still feeling awkward.

In short, the news of Shien’s engagement to Lucy caught everyone off guard.

Many people suddenly realized that this time, the Kingdom’s treasure was truly getting married, and her partner was an adventurer who was completely unknown not long ago.

What could Shien say?

Could he say that he hadn’t expected this either?

“I really didn’t intend for this to happen at first.”

Shien said weakly, defending himself.

Perhaps his relationship with Lucy did develop quickly, but at first, he really hadn’t intended to get involved with this princess.

Who was he?

Shien, who was most afraid of trouble!

For someone like him, he had wanted to stay far away from Lucy before. How could he have targeted her?

Therefore, Shien wanted to say,

“This was just an accident.”

These words sounded like something a typical scumbag would say.

The girls naturally didn’t believe him.

“Who are you trying to fool?” Leisha rolled her eyes. “I’ve been secretly observing you since you came to the capital, watching you run to that princess’s room every few days. And you’re saying it’s an accident?”

That was because that boring princess forced him to!

She was afraid of being alone, afraid of being lonely, and she revealed her true self in front of him, so she clung to him and made him accompany her!

Shien wanted to shout this.

But at this moment, Lasha spoke.

“According to my investigation, in the one hundred and sixteen days since arriving in the capital, Mr. Shien has gone to Lilith’s sweet shop eighty-eight times, purchasing a total of one thousand three hundred and fifty-seven gold coins worth of sweets.” Lasha said with an impassive face, “Among them, seven hundred and seventy-four gold coins worth of sweets ended up in Princess Lucy’s room, all the packaging boxes found in the trash disposal area of Her Highness’s bedroom.”

What this meant didn’t need to be explained.

Although Shien wanted to say that this was also because that boring princess forced him to, he couldn’t help but retort about something else.

“Where did you get this information?”

Did she actually investigate all this?

Good heavens, this maid was as terrifying as ever.

As Shien thought this, he completely forgot that Lucy wasn’t the only one who had a sweet tooth.

There was another person present.

“A total of one thousand three hundred and fifty-seven gold coins worth of sweets, and you actually gave most of them to that Kingdom’s treasure, while I didn’t even get half?”

Airi suddenly turned her head and stared at Shien, her eyes filled with killing intent.

Clearly, the Dragon Demon Princess was dissatisfied.

Why did that princess get so much, while she didn’t even get half?

Was she, the great Airi, inferior to that princess?

In terms of strength, although the princess had great potential, she was still stronger currently.

In terms of appearance, although the princess was the most beautiful in the human world, she could also compete for the title of most beautiful in the Demon Race, right?

In terms of figure… alright, she wasn’t as tall as the princess, but she was bigger than her!

In conclusion, why wasn’t she treated as well as that princess?

The Dragon Demon Princess expressed her strong dissatisfaction.

“You’re even comparing this?”

Seeing the killing intent in Airi’s eyes, Shien’s lips twitched.

This girl seemed to have accumulated a lot of emotions recently, making Shien feel a bit of danger.

Couldn’t she learn from Lilith, who was currently tilting her head in confusion, still clinging to him and refusing to leave, acting all cute and innocent?

His head hurt!

It seemed he had to find some time to coax this little girl, lest she explode.

Once this Demon Lord lost her temper, no one here, including himself, could stop her, except for Lilith.

Keeping this in mind, Shien quickly declared,

“It’s just an engagement. It’s still early before the actual wedding. Don’t congratulate me too soon.”

A royal engagement was something anyone could have. Lucy was just a little late in receiving this treatment.

It was common for princesses born into the royal family to be engaged from a young age, and it wasn’t uncommon for engagements to be canceled for various reasons.

Like Lia, due to the downfall of the Lucica family, her engagement with Edel had been officially dissolved.

Therefore, an engagement was just an engagement. It wasn’t an official marriage, so it was still too early to say anything.

Only when they were truly married was it set in stone.

After all, in this world, there was no such thing as divorce. Basically, once married, there was no going back.

Of course, there was no divorce, but separation was quite common.

Therefore, unless they were officially married, an engagement didn’t mean much.

Although…

“…Is it really still early before our official marriage?”

Shien seriously doubted this.

Seeing Lucy’s eagerness, Shien felt that one day, if he just went out for a bit, he would be dragged to the wedding ceremony upon returning, and become a married man in a daze.

Having a princess eager to get married was truly hard to handle.

What number one beauty of the human race? She was clearly the number one marriage-craving woman of the human race!

Just thinking about it made Shien feel uneasy.

It wasn’t that he was against marrying Lucy, but he needed time to react, right?

Shien really wanted to say that he had just returned from a trip!

How did he suddenly encounter such a major life event?

How frustrating!

T/N:

I made a mistake in previous chapters with these two characters (Lumia and Lia). Now that Lumia has appeared more times, I’ve realized it. I got confused since both names share the same last character, and I was using ‘Lumia’ for both. If you didn’t find these errors, it’s because I’ve already fixed the previous chapters (14/12).

Lumia is a member of Vivian’s adventurer squad.

Lia is Lucy’s older sister and a princess of the Mitra Kingdom. (Her full name is Lia De lla – Liadella or Liabella) – The author mostly just call her Lia

Also, Lucy will be formally referred to as Roselucia in some moments. This is because Roselucia is actually her full name, similar case to her sister

*****

Chapter 441: Getting Married

“What? Announcing the results now?”

That day, Shien had just arrived at the palace, entered Lucy’s bedroom, and met with her. Before he could even get close… ahem, before he could even say a few words, Lucy told him this news, stunning him.

The “results” Lucy mentioned naturally referred to the results of the husband selection competition.

Yes.

Lucy was preparing to announce the results.

In other words, the Kingdom was preparing to announce to the world that Lucy’s future husband was Shien.

This was only natural.

“After you caused such a big commotion, how many people still think they can compete with you?”

Lucy said, a little annoyed.

Since the Lucica family incident, Shien had officially entered the sights of the major powers, earning their apprehension.

Before, Shien’s fame wasn’t based on his personal strength, but on his various achievements and feats, coupled with the “rumors” about his relationship with Lucy and Airi.

But this time, Shien had completely revealed his strength, showcasing everything he could, except for what absolutely couldn’t be exposed.

Airi, one of the Six Demon Lords, the Dragon Demon, had officially become his supporter.

He also had powerful figures like Yulin and Lilith by his side.

Moreover, he had displayed Celestial Magic and astonishing strength, as well as some connection with the Goddess of Nature. The current Shien, although his status might not be as high as many others, was unmatched in his uniqueness.

Nobles?

He had already destroyed several, all of whom were top figures in their respective countries.

Dignitaries and royalty from various countries?

They were just a small part of the vast human race. Could they compare to the Divine Race and the Demon Race?

Having the support of both the Divine Race and the Demon Race, possessing sufficient personal strength, and several powerful figures by his side, who in the human race could compare to him?

No one!

Therefore, when many nobles prepared to establish a relationship with Shien, they were actually admitting defeat, giving up on competing with him for Princess Lucy’s hand.

Shien himself also felt that the once omnipresent hostility in the capital had almost vanished, and the remaining hostility was from those who dared not speak up.

At least, no one dared to block his doorstep and challenge him to a duel anymore.

Shien could now walk openly on the streets. Although he attracted some attention, it was no longer the hostility and suspicion of the past, but fear and apprehension.

This showed that Shien’s status in people’s minds had indeed changed.

Therefore, Lucy felt that it was time to announce the results.

If she announced it now, no one would question it.

After all, if even the current Shien wasn’t worthy of Lucy, then no one in this world was.

Of course…

“Those noble young masters probably won’t give up so easily, right?”

Shien thought.

He knew Lucy’s charm very well.

The most beautiful woman in the human world being given away like this, Shien didn’t think those young masters would be reconciled to it.

The reason why simps were simps wasn’t just because they were humble, nor was it just because they had no bottom line, but also because they were like real dogs, incredibly clingy.

Let alone young masters, even ordinary commoners, if they became simps, they would do anything for their goddesses, without any self-awareness.

For example, Treece of Jeritte, wasn’t his foolish son just such an idiot?

Shien believed there must be many simp noble sons who were unwilling to see Lucy taken by him, this pig… no, this handsome devil!

Therefore, even if they didn’t dare to openly cause trouble for him, they might resort to some underhanded methods.

Shien didn’t think they would obediently accept their fate.

When it came to the goddess in their hearts, simps could become irrational at any moment.

Therefore, Shien was prepared to make an example out of a few more fools and completely scare away those with ulterior motives.

However, Shien forgot one thing.

“Those spoiled sons of nobles might be unwilling and try to continue causing trouble, but their elders definitely won’t allow it.” Lucy curled her lip. “No one wants to become the second Lucica family, so the heads of those noble families have recently given strict orders that no young members are allowed to cause trouble for you, or they will be expelled from their families, or even executed on the spot.”

“Executed on the spot?” Shien raised an eyebrow. “That ruthless?”

“Not everyone is like the Lucica family, with only one heir left. Many noble families have many wives and concubines and many descendants. If sacrificing a few younger members can protect the family, they would be more than happy to do so.” Lucy said to Shien, “It’s said that recently, several noble young masters have had their legs broken or been placed under house arrest by their families, just to prevent them from causing trouble.”

“Oh?” Shien smiled. “It seems I made the right choice this time.”

As expected, displaying his true strength and making others wary of him could prevent a lot of trouble.

His show of power this time had paved the way for him.

However…

“While deterring the small fry, you’ve also truly entered the sights of some major powers.” Lucy couldn’t help but remind him. “I received news that many people have appeared in the capital recently, like from the Demon Race Embassy. It seems some people from the Demon Race have come. They seem to be demons under the command of other Demon Lords, not the Moon Demon or the Dragon Demon. They’re probably here to investigate you.”

The Six Demon Lords were siblings, and it was said that their relationship was very good.

Before, the news of Airi appearing beside Shien wasn’t too sensational, and only the cautious Moon Demon reacted, coming to investigate personally.

But this time, Airi publicly declared her protection of Shien, even representing the entire Demon Race. Airi’s Demon Lord sisters naturally couldn’t ignore this and would definitely react in some way.

Moreover…

“There’s also some movement from the temple recently. It seems a goddess of the Divine Race has descended. She’s probably also here to investigate you.”

Lucy said.

“Unlike the Demon Race, which values strength, the Divine Race values power and domain, and to a certain extent, they value hierarchy even more than humans.”

“Inferior Gods would never disobey Superior Gods, and Superior Gods would never disobey the Three Goddesses.”

“They value hierarchy very much, and since you used the name of Nadue, one of the Three Goddesses, they will definitely come to investigate this matter.”

Therefore, the current royal capital wasn’t just filled with nobles from various countries, but also members of the Divine Race and the Demon Race.

This was the extent of Shien’s influence.

Naturally…

“Various countries in the human world have also sent people to investigate you, some to contact you. All sorts of forces have appeared in the capital, and the Knight Order even discovered traces of suspected Old Demon Faction members. All sorts of existences are now watching you.”

Lucy’s expression turned serious.

“Some of these people won’t do anything to you, some are even here to curry favor with you, but there are definitely some with ulterior motives.”

This was understandable.

The world was vast, and there were definitely many who would take risks.

Would existences like the Old Demon Faction not target Shien just because they were wary of him?

Impossible.

If necessary, they would even risk their lives to attack Shien.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare to openly band together and become enemies with the Divine Race, the human race, and even the Demon Race.

This was also the reason why Shien didn’t want to be too famous in the past.

No matter how much strength he displayed, there would still be some who weren’t afraid of death and would come to pester him.

Under such circumstances, the more high-profile he was, the more likely he was to be targeted, which was why Shien chose to develop discreetly, not because he was cowardly.

But since coming to the capital, he had become increasingly famous, and he could no longer be low-key, so Shien decided to be high-profile, at least scaring away most people and making them behave themselves in his presence.

Shien had already considered all this.

Lucy also understood, which was why she was preparing to strike while the iron was hot and finalize their marriage.

“Now that many people are just starting to be wary of you and don’t dare to act rashly, and your reputation is at its peak, having caused quite a stir among the commoners, if we announce this matter now, even if others are unwilling or dissatisfied, they won’t dare to openly oppose it.”

As she spoke, Lucy smiled.

She smiled happily.

“I’ve already talked to Father and told the Kingdom’s leadership about my intention to marry you. Everyone is now intimidated by the Divine Race and the Demon Race and can’t even utter a word of opposition.”

In other words, the Kingdom had also agreed.

They agreed to the marriage between Shien and Lucy.

“This…”

Shien was stunned.

Was he about to enter the grave?

It felt much faster than he had imagined, making Shien unable to adapt.

Lucy, on the other hand, her eyes sparkling, said,

“Father intends to announce this tomorrow, confirming your status as my fiancé, and then promoting your title as a reward.”

“Therefore, tomorrow, we will be officially engaged, and you will be promoted to Earl, becoming a true high-ranking noble.”

“By the way, Father also said that after the engagement, we can get married soon, and you will be promoted to Marquis.”

“Be prepared, okay?”

Lucy said all this happily, making Shien truly realize.

He was getting married.

Chapter 440: The Bustling Royal Capital

The next day, the full story of what happened last night quickly spread throughout the royal capital and even began to spread beyond.

“Airi, the Dragon Demon, personally declared her protection of Viscount Buztout.”

“To be an enemy of Viscount Buztout is to be an enemy of the Demon Race.”

“There’s another very powerful little girl beside Shien Buztout.”

“The meteor shower that destroyed the Garibaldi family was also Viscount Buztout’s doing.”

“Viscount Buztout seems to have learned the legendary Celestial Magic.”

“It turns out that an elf girl beside Viscount Buztout is highly valued by the Goddess of Nature. Viscount Buztout killed the young master of the Lucica family because he received a revelation from the Goddess of Nature.”

“The Lucica family has been annihilated.”

“The noble district has been destroyed, but apart from the Lucica family, there were no casualties.”

News like this spread rapidly throughout the capital.

Undoubtedly, this news was shocking.

Undoubtedly, this news was also met with skepticism.

However, with an official announcement from the royal palace, all doubts vanished.

“The Lucica family attempted to offend a believer under the protection of the Goddess of Nature and has been punished by Viscount Buztout. Due to the severity of the matter, effective immediately, the Lucica family will be stripped of their noble title and their territory reclaimed, the family demoted to commoners.”

No one misunderstood the meaning of this announcement.

It meant that the Kingdom condoned Shien’s actions against the Lucica family.

The Kingdom wouldn’t hold him responsible and might even reward him, ostensibly for upholding justice, but everyone understood that this was probably a sign that the Kingdom had decided to win over Shien and side with him.

Because of this, the Kingdom didn’t mention the destruction of the noble district at all, and those nobles who originally harbored resentment also chose to swallow their anger, just like the Kingdom, tacitly accepting everything.

This was the outcome.

No matter how others judged it, this outcome seemed to be set in stone.

At least, for now, no one would dare to cause trouble for someone protected by a Demon Lord, possessing immense power and a small force, because of what happened last night.

Including those nobles living in the noble district whose houses were destroyed by the meteor shower last night.

Although it was somewhat embarrassing, it was still better than following in the footsteps of the Garibaldi and Lucica families and being completely annihilated by Shien, right?

Moreover, recently, there were rumors in the capital’s noble circles that the Stalim family had also offended Shien.

In the Cosmos incident, the Stalim family lost not only their proud First Knight Order, but also Yuri, their strongest member, and Limgir, their future heir. Even Barry, the head of the family, had disappeared for some reason, seemingly having contacted Shien before his disappearance. The entire Stalim family was in chaos.

It was said that some members of the Stalim family recently wanted to confront Shien.

However, after last night’s incident, the Stalim family seemed to have given up on this idea after receiving the news.

Now, the Stalim family was in internal turmoil, fighting for the position of family head.

Therefore, not only the Garibaldi and Lucica families, but even the Stalim family might have already suffered at Shien’s hands, falling into their current state.

Three once powerful noble families had all fallen at the hands of a viscount. This situation had chilled many nobles to the bone.

Who would dare to provoke Shien now?

Therefore, all the nobles unanimously shifted all the blame onto the Lucica family, not mentioning the Buztout family at all.

Not only did they not mention it, but many nobles didn’t even pursue the matter of their houses being destroyed. Instead, they brought gifts and visited the Buztout mansion, seemingly enthusiastic.

In fact, wasn’t this a good opportunity for them?

If they could use this opportunity to establish a good relationship with the Buztout family, then they might be able to gain the friendship of the Demon Lord and the Demon Race, right?

They might even gain the friendship of the Divine Race.

After all, they hadn’t forgotten that Shien confronted the Lucica family because of a revelation from the Goddess of Nature.

In other words, this Viscount Buztout not only had the protection of the Demon Lord and the Demon Race, but also possibly the protection of the goddess and the Divine Race.

Moreover, he was the top candidate for Princess Lucy’s husband, kept a dragon, had a seemingly powerful little girl by his side, and possessed the power to destroy a family, even a noble district. All these titles made him a highly sought-after figure.

Thanks to this, although he was the culprit behind the destruction of the noble district, starting from the next day, carriages lined up in front of the Buztout mansion, a bustling scene that lasted for several days.

These were all nobles who came to visit, hoping to establish a good relationship with Shien, including dignitaries from other countries and even heirs to thrones.

Unfortunately, Shien didn’t have time to deal with these social climbers and only received a few select guests.

For example, the Lazareth family, who had taken care of him when he first arrived in the capital and had always supported him.

For example, Jacinta from the Demon Race Embassy, representing one of the Six Demon Lords, the Dragon Demon, and her subordinates.

And the Pope and others from the temple, whom he hadn’t seen since the ennoblement banquet.

Apart from these few people, Shien refused to see anyone else.

If it were before, many would think that he was ungrateful and arrogant.

But now, few people thought that way.

With the support of both the Divine Race and the Demon Race, Shien had the right to turn away dignitaries from various countries, right?

Under such circumstances, those who came to visit could only leave their gifts and leave dejectedly.

Even so, the stream of nobles visiting the Buztout mansion continued.

This made Leisha a little frustrated.

“So many nobles, all coming one after another. How can I go out like this?”

Leisha was in a bad mood.

As a wanted criminal, although Leisha had witnessed everything that had happened recently, she hadn’t shown her face even once, staying in her room most of the time, rarely coming out.

Originally, Leisha thought this situation would only last a few days.

But now, Leisha realized that she was too naive.

“If this continues, I won’t be able to go anywhere.”

Therefore, unable to bear it, Leisha recently hadn’t been staying at the mansion, using spatial transfer magic to go somewhere with Lasha, no one knew where.

Airi wasn’t interested in this at all, sleeping most of the time, only leaving her room to eat and bathe, even influencing Lilith, who had recently been sleepy-eyed and drowsy, as if she had been infected with narcolepsy.

As for Shien, he would rather sleep with Airi and Lilith than deal with the flattery of those nobles.

This resulted in Vivian receiving most of the visiting nobles recently.

Vivian was also a girl raised in a noble family and was quite skilled at receiving guests. Shien left all these matters to her.

“I’m not your retainer.”

Vivian said helplessly, but she couldn’t ignore Shien’s request for help and could only accept it.

Diere also wasn’t interested in those nobles at all, hiding away and training secretly these days. Perhaps stimulated by Shien’s [Auroras Meteoric], she felt an urgent need to become stronger.

Lumia and Melika, on the other hand, had been pestering Shien during this time.

This was also normal.

“Is the Goddess of Nature really watching over me? Really? Is there some kind of mistake? I… I’m just an ordinary elf!”

Since that night, Melika had been uneasy about this matter, repeatedly pulling Lumia along to find Shien, hoping he could give her an answer.

She couldn’t believe that an ordinary elf like her would be noticed by the Goddess of Nature, the highest deity of the Elven Race.

Throughout history, there were very few who could gain the attention of the Goddess of Nature. Even many members of the elven royalty couldn’t enter her sight.

This made it very difficult for Melika to believe that she would be noticed by the Goddess of Nature, and that the goddess would even send a revelation to Shien to save her.

Shien was also helpless about this.

“I’m telling the truth, not trying to fool you.” Shien said to Melika, “Perhaps there’s something special about you that caught the Goddess of Nature’s attention.”

This statement was agreed upon by everyone.

“Hasn’t Melika’s magic power been increasing continuously these past few months? Perhaps this is what’s special about her?”

Lumia’s weak words echoed everyone’s thoughts.

Even Shien thought so.

“Keep up the good work, Melika.” Shien encouraged Melika. “If there’s really something special about you, try to discover it. Perhaps it will earn you the favor of the Goddess of Nature and her blessing.”

Shien’s words moved Melika greatly.

Even throughout the history of the Elven Race, there were very few who could receive the Goddess of Nature’s blessing.

Among the elves, those who received the Goddess of Nature’s blessing had a status even higher than the royalty.

This made Melika tempted and couldn’t help but wonder if there was truly something special about her that caught the Goddess of Nature’s attention.

Therefore, Melika stopped pestering Shien and, together with Lumia, joined Diere in training.

Shien no longer bothered with anything else, enjoying his leisurely life in the Buztout mansion.

Until…

Chapter 439: The One Who Cannot Be Offended

“—”

Silence descended upon everyone.

All who heard Airi’s declaration were stunned.

No one would have imagined that one day, a Demon Lord would stand up and openly declare her protection of a human.

She was a Demon Lord, a pinnacle of the Demon Race, possessing immense power, a being even the Three Goddesses wouldn’t underestimate.

With their power alone, they could rival an entire nation.

Destroying a country was child’s play for them.

Moreover, they had the entire Demon Race behind them. If they stood up to protect someone, then even the Divine Race and the entire human race would be helpless, right?

But how did Shien achieve this?

How could he make a Demon Lord do this for him?

Throughout history, many people had interacted with Demon Lords, but there had never been a single case of a Demon Lord openly protecting someone like this.

Including Heroes, and even goddesses of the Divine Race.

Now, a young human, a noble of adventurer origin, a mere viscount, had achieved all this.

This made everyone, including Ancil, feel like they were dreaming, everything too unreal.

Of course, they didn’t know that there were two reasons why Airi stood up and made such a bold declaration.

One was that Shien’s actions this time were to her liking.

In fact, Airi had long felt that Shien should have done this.

In Airi’s view, there was no such thing as power or authority in this world, only the difference between being strong or weak.

If you were strong enough, you could do whatever you wanted, and all power and authority would bow down before you.

Conversely, if you were too weak, no amount of power or authority could protect you. Anyone could bully and humiliate you, and no one would care about the human rights of a weak person.

And Shien was a sufficiently strong person.

No, it should be said that all past Heroes were sufficiently strong.

However, those Heroes all abided by some inexplicable rules and regulations. On the surface, they seemed to be admired by many, heroes in the eyes of many, but in reality, they were just weapons used by the Divine Race and the human race on the battlefield.

Among the humans they protected, weren’t there also pests?

In the world they guarded, wasn’t there also something not worth protecting?

Clearly possessing the Holy Sword, clearly being the Hero, clearly having such immense power, yet as if bound by a curse called “saving the world” and “protecting everything,” they indiscriminately believed that the Demon Race was evil and that war was harmful. Why?

Airi couldn’t stand it. People with power actually lost their freedom, willingly being driven and used by others, just because they were given the title of “Hero,” they felt they should sacrifice everything for these people, unaware that many of these people were secretly rejoicing, happy that someone was fighting for them.

Like the Ragna Empire in the past, after the Hero died, those who had flattered him immediately started to carve up his legacy. If he were still alive and saw this, would he still think they were worth protecting?

Therefore, in the past, Airi always thought that Heroes were just powerful puppets, and she even killed two of them without hesitation.

However, Shien was completely different.

He didn’t have an inexplicable sense of justice. Every action he took was driven by his own will and thoughts.

He didn’t have any strange principles, doing whatever he wanted, completely unconcerned about others’ opinions.

He wouldn’t worship someone just because they were from the Divine Race, nor would he be wary of someone just because they were from the Demon Race.

Even towards her, a Demon Lord, he said and did whatever he wanted, his every action natural and unrestrained, never caring about race, position, or faction.

This Hero might be both righteous and wicked, too much of a free spirit, but that was precisely what Airi liked.

Shien didn’t feel like a puppet called “Hero” to Airi, but a “person” with a strong sense of self and personality, who wouldn’t flaunt his power excessively, but also wouldn’t hesitate to use it to obtain what he wanted.

This time was the same. He became angry for the people around him, used his power decisively to make others wary of him and avoid future trouble, and even though the other party was a fellow human, he showed no mercy. These actions were exactly what Airi wanted to see.

In short, everything about Shien was to Airi’s liking. In her eyes, he was perfect, which was why she liked him so much, to the point where she wanted him to be hers.

This was also the second reason why Airi stood up and made her declaration.

That was, to announce to everyone that this Hero was hers.

Of course, Airi wasn’t the only one who was extremely fond of Shien, so fond that she was willing to stay by his side, even if it meant being an enemy of the world.

“Swish!”

At a certain moment, another figure dashed out of the Buztout mansion and came to Shien’s side.

“Hum!”

The evil aura around her vibrated.

“Whoosh!”

Twelve black wings unfolded behind her back.

The little evil god appeared beside Shien, protecting him alongside Airi, her amethyst eyes fixed on everyone present, sending chills down their spines.

“Who… who is she?”

Everyone was shocked by the sudden appearance of this little girl.

That evil aura, that imposing manner, was no less than Airi’s, terrifying many.

Ancil’s pupils constricted, and alarm bells rang in his heart.

He had a feeling that this little girl with twelve black wings was even more dangerous than Airi, the Dragon Demon.

When did such a dangerous being appear beside Shien?

Everyone’s breathing became slightly rapid.

Moreover, there was a black dragon hovering above Shien’s head, staring at them, and Shien himself possessed the terrifying power to summon a meteor shower. Everyone was shocked to find that at this moment, before them, was a force capable of shaking the entire human race.

Shien, as if not noticing everyone’s gazes and expressions, patted Lilith’s head and, instead of looking at Ancil, looked around at everyone present.

“Do you know who that young master of the Lucica family tried to harm today?”

Shien said as if talking to himself.

“The person he tried to harm today, although just an ordinary elf, is someone valued and watched over by Nadue, the Goddess of Nature.”

These words made everyone gasp again.

“Someone valued by the Goddess of Nature…!?”

Ancil’s expression also changed drastically.

Even Jeroman’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Huh? Huh?”

Only Melika was stunned and flustered, completely unaware of this.

Under such circumstances, Shien smiled.

“Today, I knew about Melika’s situation and intervened in time because the Goddess of Nature gave me a revelation, urging me to go and save her.” Shien said indifferently, “You can imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t intervened today.”

Even without Shien saying it, everyone present was already drenched in cold sweat.

If that was truly the case, if something had happened to Melika, it would have been a disaster.

As humans, they might not care about the threat of a Demon Lord, but they couldn’t ignore the feelings of the goddess they worshipped.

It was conceivable that if the Goddess of Nature pursued this matter, then not only the Lucica family, but even the entire Kingdom of Mitra would be implicated.

“You can think that I’m just spouting nonsense, or you can come after me because of what happened today.”

Shien smiled fearlessly at everyone.

“However, when that happens, I hope your families, your territories, and even your countries are strong enough to withstand my [Auroras Meteoric].”

After saying that, Shien looked down at Jeroman.

“As for you…” Shien narrowed his eyes and said nonchalantly, “Unfortunately, no one will be going to hell with you.”

Leaving these words behind, Shien turned around and returned to the Buztout mansion.

Airi also followed expressionlessly, as if taking Shien’s lead.

As for Lilith, needless to say, she held Shien’s hand and left directly, not even glancing at the people present.

Finally, even Vivian, Diere, Lumia, and the bewildered Melika exchanged glances, then hurriedly followed Shien.

Only Ancil and his group remained at the scene.

Ancil looked at Jeroman, whose face was filled with despair and was gradually losing his vitality, his gaze incredibly complicated.

Not only Ancil, but the others also looked at each other, then fell silent.

No one noticed that in the distance, a carriage had arrived.

“…I didn’t expect him to be so powerful, so formidable.”

Lia also looked in the direction of the Buztout mansion with a complicated expression, then at Edel’s corpse, which no one was paying attention to, her thoughts unknown.

Naturally, Lucy had also arrived.

From the rooftop of a building, Lucy looked down at everything below, murmuring, either breathing a sigh of relief or a sigh of lament,

“After this, there probably aren’t many people in the three realms who would dare to provoke him.”

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Lucy’s face, then vanished.

“Going to such lengths for other women, what a playboy.”

After saying that, Lucy turned around and left.

Tonight’s events finally came to an end.

However, no one would forget this night.

Because on this night, an existence that absolutely couldn’t be offended entered the sights of the major powers.

Chapter 438: Protected by the Dragon Demon

The meteors falling from the sky gradually decreased until they disappeared completely.

The meteorites that ravaged the earth finally stopped, and the continuous earthquakes and dust storms slowly subsided.

Everything returned to calm.

However, the ravaged noble district could no longer return to its original state.

“Clatter… clatter…”

The sound of rolling rubble was everywhere.

The lingering dust and sand filled the air like smoke.

“Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—”

Yulin flapped her wings, soaring in the sky, looking at the devastated land below, reduced to ruins, with only dilapidated buildings and craters remaining. Although she suppressed her urge to roar, the excitement in her eyes was hard to conceal.

Clearly, this scene of destruction pleased the almost invincible King of Monsters.

Shien jumped down from the dragon’s head, landing lightly on the ground like a feather, the surging magic power around him subsiding.

The members of Vivian’s squad, either raising their hands to shield their faces or sitting paralyzed on the ground, gathered in front of the Buztout mansion, looking at the scene of destruction, speechless.

In the noble district, apart from a few houses, only the Buztout mansion remained intact.

All other places had been reduced to ruins.

“This…”

Lumia was speechless.

“…”

Diere was also silent.

“Mr. Shien…?”

Melika couldn’t believe that all this was Shien’s doing.

Even Vivian looked at the scene with shock, then at Shien, who was standing before the destruction with an impassive face, unable to react for a long time.

“…You went too far.”

After a long while, Vivian finally muttered these words.

Shien curled his lip.

“Don’t worry, I’m not crazy enough to massacre people in the capital.” Shien said, “I minimized the power of that magic, limiting its effect to the noble district and dispersing its power. Moreover, I deliberately avoided areas with magic reactions and gave people enough time to escape. There shouldn’t be any innocent casualties.”

Of course…

“There are no innocent casualties, but as for the not-so-innocent ones, that’s another story.”

Shien’s words, spoken with a smirk, made the members of Vivian’s squad notice something.

In the ruined square ahead, the knights and guards of the Lucica family were scattered all over the ground.

Some were buried under the rubble.

Some were trapped in craters.

And without exception, their life signs were gone.

Yes.

Only those who had followed Jeroman’s orders and attacked Shien had suffered fatal injuries. Now, they were either dead or severely wounded.

As for Jeroman…

“Ugh… ah…”

The Duke was lying on the ground in a pool of blood, his breathing faint, his body unable to move, clearly on the verge of death.

It couldn’t be helped.

Shien could let others escape, but this Duke couldn’t.

He was probably hit by the second meteor and couldn’t possibly escape.

If it weren’t for the fact that he seemed to have activated a scroll or used some magic tool at the last moment, creating a very strong magic barrier around him, he would have been crushed to pieces.

“He’s still a Duke after all, quite wealthy. It’s impossible for him not to have life-saving items.”

Shien came to Jeroman, kicking him over so he was facing up.

“So, how does it feel, Duke?”

Shien looked down at Jeroman, his tone sarcastic, as before.

Jeroman opened his bloodshot eyes and looked at Shien.

There was no longer anger or hatred in his eyes, only fear.

“It was you…” Jeroman said faintly, “The one who annihilated… the Garibaldi family… was… you…?”

Jeroman finally realized this.

“I don’t think I ever said it wasn’t me.” Shien shrugged. “It’s just that you arrogant nobles thought I couldn’t do it, so you assumed it wasn’t me. Isn’t that right?”

Now, Jeroman understood.

This time, he had truly provoked someone he shouldn’t have.

“Why…?” Jeroman asked with difficulty, “Why… would you annihilate the Lucica family…?”

Edel had been mercilessly killed by Shien.

The knights he brought were almost all dead.

Even he himself was on the verge of death. Jeroman still couldn’t believe this outcome.

However, his question and accusation sounded ridiculous to Shien.

“You’re actually asking why?”

Shien chuckled as if he had heard a great joke, but there wasn’t a hint of mirth in his eyes.

Indeed, this time, it was Jeroman and the others who had delivered themselves to his doorstep, becoming his example.

But Shien hadn’t chosen this “chicken” randomly.

“Since you’re asking me why, then let me ask you.”

Shien said sarcastically.

“Why can your precious son bully others?”

“Why can your precious son abduct women against their will?”

“Do they deserve to be humiliated and annihilated?”

“And you, knowing all this, how dare you ask me why, and how dare you come to my house so self-righteously, surrounding it and demanding I hand him over?”

Shien placed his foot on Jeroman’s chest.

“So, it’s only okay for you to bully others, but not for others to bully you?”

“If you’re completely clueless, then let me tell you, if you weren’t a Duke, and your Lucica family wasn’t a so-called Duke family, then for what your son did, and for your protection of him, you would have died a thousand times over.”

“But you didn’t die before, not because you didn’t deserve to die, but because someone who could ignore your power, wasn’t threatened by you, and had the ability to kill you, hadn’t appeared yet.”

“And now, since you’ve provoked me, it only means that your time has come. That’s all.”

Shien told Jeroman, in the most direct, domineering, and simplest way, why they had ended up like this.

“That’s why I said, you’re clearly not the most powerful ones, without the ability to act recklessly. What right do you have to do so many things that disregard human rights?”

“Your son bullied others, and you condoned and protected him.”

“The Lucica family accepted bribes, and you were the ringleader.”

“Even within the Lucica territory, there are many nobles who engage in corruption, bribery, collusion, and abuse their power. You, as the lord, know all this clearly, but you chose to turn a blind eye.”

“In that case, tell me, why can’t I dislike you, dislike your son, dislike your entire family, and just kill you all?”

Jeroman heard Shien’s words clearly.

Shien didn’t know if he understood, nor did he care if he did.

Therefore…

“The Lucica family has reached its end today. This is the consequence.”

Shien declared indifferently.

“Go to hell with your precious son and repent to those you’ve harmed.”

Hearing this, Jeroman laughed.

He laughed maniacally.

“You… will also die…”

Jeroman coughed up blood as he laughed.

“Destroying the noble district… like this… offending so many… nobles… and so many foreign dignitaries… they… won’t let you go… the Kingdom… won’t let you go…!”

Jeroman had resigned himself to his fate, in despair, but he didn’t forget to drag Shien down with him.

In fact, some frightened nobles emerged from various corners of the noble district, as if having escaped a disaster, gathering here and looking at Shien with fear and hatred.

Just as Jeroman said, even if Shien only eliminated the Lucica family, he had dared to use such large-scale magic in the capital, destroying the entire noble district like this, he must have been resented by many nobles.

And those foreign dignitaries who came to the capital, many of whom had experienced the terrifying meteor shower and were affected, now hated Shien, right?

Under such circumstances, they only needed to put pressure on the Kingdom, coupled with the crime of destroying the noble district, and Shien would definitely be doomed.

That’s what Jeroman thought.

Unfortunately…

“I’d like to see who dares to touch my person.”

When these calm words echoed through the air, everyone’s expression changed.

“Tap—tap—tap—tap—”

With clear footsteps, a little girl holding a pillow walked out of the Buztout mansion step by step, appearing before everyone.

Seeing the little girl, many people gasped.

“Airi, the Dragon Demon…!?”

“It’s Airi, the Dragon Demon…!”

“She… she’s actually still in the capital?”

“This…”

The people who had returned to the scene, standing around the ruins, all exclaimed in shock.

Airi came to Shien’s side, glanced at the stunned Jeroman, then turned her gaze in another direction.

“Do you dare to touch him, King of Mitra?”

Airi’s words stunned everyone at first, then they realized with shock that in the direction she was looking, Ancil had appeared at some point, getting out of a luxurious carriage.

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty!”

The surrounding nobles and commoners changed their expressions, some bowing, some kneeling, to greet Ancil.

Ancil looked at the surrounding ruins, then at Jeroman, who was being stepped on by Shien, his face filled with bitterness.

“Your Highness Airi…”

Ancil opened his mouth, but found himself speechless.

Especially when he looked at Shien, his gaze was incredibly complicated.

Ancil truly hadn’t expected Shien to be so bold, not only crippling a Duke’s family like this, but also destroying the entire noble district.

Such an outrageous act, Ancil couldn’t believe Shien had actually done it.

And Airi even stepped forward and spoke up for Shien.

This was only natural.

“Ever since Sister Sara came here last time and you discovered my existence, you’ve been guessing what my relationship with Shien is, right?”

Airi said indifferently.

Indeed.

People had been guessing what the relationship between Shien and Airi was, and why the Dragon Demon would appear by his side.

This was also why everyone described Shien as “suspected to have the backing of a Demon Lord.”

Because they weren’t sure if Shien was truly supported by a Demon Lord.

Perhaps she just happened to be here?

Compared to the idea of Shien having a friendly relationship with her, many people preferred to think this way.

But now…

“I can tell you directly and dispel your wishful thinking.”

Airi’s voice echoed throughout the area.

“Shien is a human I favor, and he is under my protection.”

“To be his enemy is to be my enemy, the enemy of the Dragon Demon, the enemy of the Demon Race.”

“Want to touch him?”

“Then you have to get my permission first.”

Chapter 437: Sometimes, You Have to Make a Scene

Jeroman’s mournful howl seemed to pierce everyone’s hearts, plunging the scene into dead silence.

Everyone stared in shock at Edel, whose neck had been mercilessly snapped by Shien, his heart trembling.

“He… he actually killed Duke Lucica’s son?”

“That’s the son of a Duke!”

“How dare he?”

“Oh my god…”

At this moment, whether commoners or nobles, they were all shocked by Shien’s ruthless actions.

Killing a Duke’s son, his only heir, this grudge was huge.

“I’ll kill you!”

Jeroman roared hysterically, unleashing magic at Shien recklessly.

Instantly, countless fire spells, like a purgatory intending to destroy everything, bombarded Shien.

These weren’t ordinary spells, but a barrage of advanced magic.

Unlike the incompetent Edel, Jeroman was a Duke, and his ancestors were also royalty. Even though his bloodline had been diluted, he still possessed a certain degree of Hero’s blood, and his level was above seventy.

He was a pure magician, having trained his [Fire Magic] to level seven, capable of using advanced fire magic.

Now, Jeroman had completely lost his mind, chanting spells non-stop with a roaring voice, unleashing various advanced fire spells towards Shien.

Shien only made one move.

“[Bestow: Dispel].”

Just like before, Shien stood there motionless, chanting a short incantation and activating the Dispel Bestowal Magic.

Instantly, the incoming fire spells were either scattered into sparks or exploded on the spot under Shien’s magic power, none of them reaching him.

Shien calmly dispelled Jeroman’s magic, causing flames to continuously form, surge, scatter, and explode in the square in front of the Buztout mansion, a spectacular sight.

“Attack! Attack him! Kill him! Kill him!!!”

Jeroman roared, making the knights of the Lucica family tremble, but they could only grit their teeth and charge towards Shien.

“Good, this is more like it.”

Seeing this, Shien smirked, not only unafraid but also feeling an urge to unleash all his restraints and fight to his heart’s content.

If it were before, Shien wouldn’t have wanted to do such a conspicuous thing.

Knowing all the clichés, Shien was well aware that the more conspicuous he was, the more likely he was to attract trouble, enter the sights of certain people, and be targeted.

If this continued, his identity as the Hero would eventually be exposed.

Therefore, Shien disliked acting weak to lure the enemy, but he didn’t dislike being low-key.

As long as no one provoked him.

If someone did provoke him, he knew very well that he wasn’t a protagonist who would rationally consider things and act strategically for the greater good.

He was impulsive, reckless, even somewhat hot-tempered.

Therefore, Shien had repeatedly said that he wasn’t protagonist material.

However, reality proved that in life, when facing many things, if one didn’t choose to compromise, then they had to make a scene.

Only by being sufficiently flamboyant and powerful could one avoid compromising.

Being low-key?

That wasn’t impossible.

But from the moment he refused to compromise, being low-key became a luxury.

Moreover, since many people already knew his identity, and because of Lucy and others, he could no longer hide his fame, then to prevent others from provoking him and the people around him, it was time to make them wary of him.

If Mara was sufficiently wary of him, she wouldn’t dare to target Diere.

If the Lucica family was sufficiently wary of him, they wouldn’t let their son touch the people around him.

Even now, this Duke named Jeroman hadn’t apologized for his son’s actions, but instead came to his door self-righteously to demand his return. This only showed one thing.

That was, their apprehension towards him wasn’t enough.

Moreover, Shien had already planned this when he decided to marry Lucy.

After all, his future wife was the most beautiful woman in the human world, the lucky one favored by the Divine Race, the Kingdom’s treasure, the goddess in everyone’s hearts. After taking advantage of such a person, if he didn’t let others know his abilities and become wary of him, the trouble in the future would be endless.

Therefore, Shien had long been prepared to establish his dominance.

In the battle with Harvis, Shien intended to do so, but it was interrupted midway.

Now…

“Since you’ve delivered yourselves to my doorstep, then I’ll make an example out of you.”

Magic power surged from Shien’s body like a storm.

“[Bestow: Flight].”

Shien, about to be engulfed by the knights, immediately rose into the air and landed on Yulin’s head.

Everyone subconsciously looked up at Shien, who was standing on the dragon’s head.

Under everyone’s gaze, Shien looked down at Jeroman, his magic power continuously rising, creating a hurricane and gathering dark clouds.

“Such… such terrifying magic power…!”

Many people were shocked.

Including Jeroman.

Including the members of Vivian’s squad.

Naturally, also including Nadue, who had been watching everything.

Then…

“—With vast magic power, I summon the auroras from beyond the heavens—”

Shien began chanting the magic spell.

“—Tears of the sky, rain of stars, the bright expanse of the heavens, now shining upon the earth—”

The incantation echoed in all directions, reaching everyone’s ears and spreading throughout the world.

“—Answer my call—”

“—Obey my command—”

“—With swords of light, judge the world—”

The terrifying magic power surging from Shien flowed into the night sky, transforming into streams of light.

And in the night sky, shining stars appeared.

Terror enveloped the entire area.

“What… what is he doing…!?”

“What kind of magic is that…!”

“Such terrifying pressure…!”

“Not good! Run!”

“Run!”

Everyone present panicked.

Some screamed and fled.

Some trembled and fell to the ground.

Some were at a loss.

Some hadn’t even reacted yet.

“Wait…!”

“Shien!”

Even Vivian and Diere sensed that something was wrong and hurriedly tried to stop him.

But it was too late.

“—Descend, stars—”

Shien declared judgment with an indifferent voice.

“[Auroras Meteoric]!”

The most powerful and highest-level Celestial Magic, the rain of stars, after annihilating the entire Garibaldi family and almost destroying the Kingdom Knight Order, appeared once again.

The people in the royal capital would never forget this day.

Because on this day, the stars in the sky descended, wreaking havoc upon the earth.

…

“Wh-what is that?”

“Look over there!”

“Meteors…?”

“Oh god…”

At this moment, everyone in the streets and alleys, and even inside buildings, saw the meteor shower.

Meteors fell from the sky, streaking across the night sky with long tails of light, leaving beautiful trails in their wake, then falling towards the noble district, as everyone watched in a daze.

“Boom!”

A meteor first struck a building near the center of the noble district, shattering it.

“Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” …

Following closely behind, meteors fell one after another, creating booming sounds.

The earth trembled.

Dust and sand rose.

Buildings were destroyed.

Areas were pulverized.

People watched this scene unfold, screaming from the intense earthquake and terrified by the approaching dust storm.

They were horrified, panicked, screaming, and stunned, unable to believe their eyes.

And some of the knights and adventurers who had experienced the Atlus Gorge incident, seeing this scene, as if their trauma had been triggered, screamed in terror.

“It’s that!”

“It’s that meteor shower!”

“The Garibaldi family was destroyed by this!”

“The Kingdom Knight Order was almost annihilated because of it!”

“It’s back! It’s back!”

This was chaos.

Chaos no less than the Cosmos incident.

Many people who ran out of the noble district looked at the devastated land behind them, feeling the approaching dust storm and the terrifying earthquake, completely losing their minds, crawling and crying as they rushed outwards.

Those nobles from various countries who had come to the capital for the husband selection were either fleeing frantically or, if they happened to be outside the noble district, watching the destructive scene with trembling hearts.

At this moment, they only had one thought.

“Is this divine punishment?”

Yes.

This was divine punishment.

Although it wasn’t a disaster caused by a true god, it was a judgment made by a Hero summoned by a god.

The priests knelt down and prayed.

High-ranking officials from various countries and races also broke out in cold sweat, terrified.

Among them were Jacinta, Harvis, Rockto, and others, all shocked and unable to recover.

“What’s going on? What in the world is going on!?”

Ancil, rushing towards the noble district, was almost going crazy.

“…!”

Lia, in the carriage, covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock.

As for Lucy, with the Holy Sword Knights, her heart tightened as she watched this scene.

“It’s over. It seems he’s truly angry this time.”

Lucy had no choice but to abandon her knights, transforming into a gust of wind and rushing into the noble district.

This night was destined to be chaotic.