Category: The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 406: “You Promised You Would Marry Me.”

Shien hadn’t expected to hear the word “tools” from Lucy.

Where did she learn that from?

Could it be from him?

Had he mentioned “tools” before?

It seemed… he had?

Shien couldn’t quite remember.

But undoubtedly, those noble sons from various countries, who thought their chance had come, that they could forge a marriage alliance with Lucy, marry this number one beauty and genius of the human world, and were racking their brains and ecstatic, were destined to be heartbroken.

As mentioned before, in other novels, this kind of plot could be dragged out for an entire volume, describing how the protagonist stood out from the crowd, surpassed everyone, slapped the faces of his rivals, crushed all the supporting characters, gained the highest recognition from the Kingdom and the princess’s heart, successfully winning the beauty’s hand, and ascending to the top, admired and worshipped by all, becoming famous.

But here, the winner was already decided, and the others were just going through the motions. It was simply too much.

If this were a serious competition, some supporting character would definitely jump out and yell about shady dealings and cheating.

In other novels, this would just be the supporting character’s impotent rage, but here, it was a fact!

Thinking of this, Shien couldn’t help but feel sympathy, even pity, for his so-called rivals.

Really, it wasn’t that they weren’t good enough, but that he had taken a shortcut and already won the prize.

Since victory was guaranteed, what was wrong with enjoying the prize first before competing with them?

Nothing wrong at all!

Therefore, looking at Lucy, who was looking at him expectantly, as if afraid he would be angry or object, Shien pretended to be lost in thought, secretly feeling smug.

Why did so many people want to use back doors?

That feeling of assured victory was truly satisfying.

However…

“This way, I’ll really be entering married life.”

Shien was a bit conflicted.

Although Lucy’s plan was good and resolved many of his worries, once he married her, he would inevitably be tied to the Kingdom.

At that time, his father-in-law, the King, might not be too harsh on him, but if necessary, Shien believed he would still ask him to work for the Kingdom.

This made Shien, who hadn’t had enough fun yet, click his tongue.

“…Don’t you want to marry me?” Lucy stared at Shien, her beautiful eyes filled with emotions that made Shien’s heart flutter. “You promised you would marry me.”

There was no escape now.

Lucy’s gaze completely blocked all of Shien’s escape routes.

Moreover, Shien wasn’t truly against marrying Lucy, just conflicted due to external factors. Therefore, he could only surrender.

“Don’t look so pitiful.” Shien touched his nose and said helplessly, “I didn’t say it wasn’t good, did I?”

Lucy’s eyes lit up, and she smiled happily.

That bright and happy smile could probably charm all beings in the three realms.

And perhaps, the only one who could make this smile bloom was Shien.

“Then it’s settled!”

Lucy held Shien’s hand, her face full of happiness.

Seeing this, Shien’s heart also stirred.

With this stirring, Shien’s hands became restless.

And with his hands restless, their clothes naturally couldn’t stay neat.

And with their clothes disheveled, what happened next was only natural, right?

Feeling all this, Lucy blushed, but didn’t say anything, just lowered her head and accepted all of Shien’s actions.

Shien chuckled and scooped up the most beautiful woman in the human world, the treasure of the Kingdom of Mitra, the princess regarded as a goddess, and walked towards the bed.

After a period of separation, a passionate reunion was only natural for this couple in love, about to get married.

…

At the same time, Lia was on her way to Lucy’s bedroom.

She had received news that Shien had returned and immediately gone to Lucy’s bedroom to meet her.

“I wonder what that man’s expression is like now.”

Lia thought to herself before arriving.

In her opinion, after returning and learning that he had become the top candidate for Lucy’s husband, Shien should be ecstatic.

Even though he had always been well-behaved (?) during his interactions with her sister, showing no improper intentions (??), never crossing the line (???), and never harboring any wicked thoughts (????), Lia felt that in this world, there was no one who could ignore her sister’s charm.

Perhaps, it was because of the difference in status that he had been self-aware from the beginning and hadn’t done anything inappropriate.

Perhaps he was just pretending, trying to deceive others and hide his true intentions.

Therefore, in Lia’s opinion, now was the time for him to reveal some flaws.

After all, he was now the closest person to her sister, and the most likely person in the world to become her husband. If he truly had some ulterior motives, at this moment, when his goal was about to be achieved, he might not be able to suppress his excitement, revealing his flaws.

Lia felt that she had to take this opportunity to observe the man and see if he could truly bring happiness to her sister.

“I hope he’s truly a man worthy of Lucy’s attention.”

With this thought, Lia prepared to go to Lucy’s bedroom and investigate for her sister.

For this purpose, Lia didn’t even bring Charl with her, trying to avoid any interference and achieve her goal.

If she brought Charl, when she tried to use some methods and angered Shien, causing him to act, Charl might immediately stop him to prevent Lia from being harmed.

At that time, if Shien truly had any malicious intentions, but they weren’t exposed because of Charl’s intervention, then it would be meaningless.

Therefore, Lia didn’t bring Charl and walked towards Lucy’s bedroom alone.

However, under such circumstances, Lia was also approached.

“So you’re here, Princess Liadella.”

With a surprised voice, Lia stopped in her tracks.

Because the owner of the voice was the person Lia least wanted to see.

“Long time no see, Princess. How have you been?”

The person who said these words was a frail, scholarly-looking noble, tall and thin, dressed luxuriously, with two knight guards by his side.

“Edel Lucica…”

Lia looked at the surprised nobleman, muttering his name, her expression turning grim.

The other party, as if not noticing this, approached with his guards.

“I’ve been looking for you, Princess Lia.”

The noble named Edel looked at Lia with a somewhat pale but enthusiastic smile.

Lia felt uncomfortable with his enthusiastic attitude and frowned, taking a step back unnoticed.

“Long time no see, Master Lucica.”

Lia bowed respectfully to him, seemingly elegant and polite, but actually showing an aloof attitude.

But Edel didn’t seem to notice.

“Didn’t I tell you many times to just call me Edel?” Edel said enthusiastically. “Are you alone, Princess Lia?”

“No, I’m not.” Lia immediately shook her head and said calmly, “My knight is currently unavailable and left for a moment. I just came ahead. She’ll be here later.”

Lia naturally said this on purpose.

Otherwise, knowing this man, he would definitely try his best to invite her for tea if he knew she was alone.

As expected…

“A knight?” Edel frowned slightly. “Leaving her post and abandoning the princess she’s supposed to protect is truly dereliction of duty. Why don’t you come with me, Princess, and have a cup of tea at my place?”

Edel acted considerate and gentlemanly.

But the more he acted like this, the more disgusted Lia felt.

(Do you really think I’m a fool, like those young noble ladies, who can be deceived by a few sweet words?)

Knowing his true nature in private, Lia thought disdainfully, but she maintained a polite expression.

“No, thank you. My younger sister is currently preparing to choose a husband, and it’s a busy time. Both as a member of the royal family and as her older sister, I have a duty to help her.”

Lia politely declined Edel.

“Princess Lucy’s husband selection… huh?”

Edel didn’t suspect anything, but a strange glint appeared in his eyes.

Clearly noticing this glint, Lia felt even more disgusted.

Therefore, Lia no longer hesitated and said, “Then I’ll take my leave. Excuse me for not being a good host.”

Leaving these words behind, Lia immediately turned and left.

“Wait…!”

Edel finally reacted and was about to call out to Lia, but she had already walked into Lucy’s bedroom with quick steps.

Seeing this, the enthusiasm on Edel’s face turned into ruthlessness.

“Damn woman, still as arrogant as ever.”

Edel’s face turned grim as he muttered resentfully.

“You’ll fall into my hands sooner or later. Let’s see how long you can hold out.”

After saying that, Edel glanced at Lucy’s bedroom, as if thinking of the princess whose beauty was unparalleled in the world, a hint of infatuation and jealousy flashing in his eyes.

“If I had known about this opportunity, our family shouldn’t have targeted Liadella…”

Edel left, his heart filled with unwillingness and resentment.

Chapter 405: “Why Don’t You Just Fly to Heaven?”

As the saying goes, a day apart feels like three autumns.

Although Shien had only been gone for a few days, and he contacted Lucy every night, for a couple who had just tasted the forbidden fruit, not being together all the time was very difficult.

Especially for Lucy, who was a very lonely and isolated person. Shien’s absence was quite hard on her.

People would never imagine that the most beautiful woman in the human world, the princess of Mitra, the Kingdom’s treasure, would have such a dependent and vulnerable side.

Under such circumstances, Lucy fantasized more than once about how inseparable and how much they would miss each other after Shien returned.

Their reunion would definitely be very heartwarming and touching. This was only natural.

Don’t ask why she was so confident; everyone was like this.

Unfortunately, Lucy was wrong.

“It hurts, it hurts, it hurts…! It’s going to be ripped off! My face is going to be ripped off!”

At this moment, in Lucy’s bedroom, cries of pain like this continuously rang out, making the female knights of the Holy Sword Knights outside exchange glances, unsure if they should barge in.

Inside the room, Shien was pinching Lucy’s breathtakingly beautiful face forcefully, as if filled with rage, pulling it to both sides, ignoring Lucy’s struggles and cries, and forcing a smile.

“You really gave me a big surprise, my Princess. I’m so touched that I almost want to kill you. Tell me, how are you going to compensate me? Hmm?”

Shien seemed merciless, as if he was about to execute her, his grip on Lucy’s face tightening.

“It’s going to fall off! It’s going to be ripped off!” Lucy cried, tears streaming down her face. “L-let go! If this face is ruined… you’ll be the one who suffers!”

Lucy’s words became slurred.

“Hmph!”

Shien finally eased his grip, clearly also feeling that it would be a pity to ruin such a stunningly beautiful face.

But Shien didn’t let go completely. Instead, he smiled at Lucy, a smile that sent shivers down her spine.

“Come on, tell me, what kind of trouble are you causing?”

Shien’s voice sounded like an ultimatum.

This made Lucy afraid.

“I… I’m not causing any trouble…” Lucy said with a wronged expression. “I just want to marry you. Is that wrong?”

“Want to marry me?” Shien showed no mercy and sneered. “Holding a husband selection competition and saying you just want to marry me? I think you’re trying to reverse the beauty pageant. Why don’t you just fly to heaven, Roselucia Mitra?”

“Y-you… let go first!” Lucy, seeing Shien’s fierce expression, said timidly, “Let go first, and I’ll explain everything, okay?”

“Fine.” Shien readily agreed. “I hope your explanation will satisfy me.”

This sounded like an empty threat, but Lucy knew that this little man before her was truly capable of anything.

Therefore, Lucy said timidly, “Wh-what if it doesn’t satisfy you?”

Shien’s smile widened.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything.” Shien said magnanimously. “However, I’ll return to Larmigion, or wander the world, leaving a certain number one beauty in the human world as a lonely housewife, only able to see me once every few years.”

Lucy immediately abandoned all her dignity and apologized to Shien.

“I’m sorry! I was wrong!”

Lucy almost kowtowed to Shien.

Shien had hit Lucy’s biggest weakness.

Fortunately, Shien was just being mischievous, not cruel. Otherwise, Lucy would have to call him “daddy” a few times before he would let her go.

Although, in certain specific situations, Lucy had indeed called Shien “daddy”… (Ancil: Bless you!)

Shien finally calmed down somewhat.

“Come on, tell me.” Shien crossed his arms and said sternly, “What’s the deal with this so-called husband selection competition?”

Shien had heard about the cause of this incident from Vivian and the others.

“A disaster that can only be averted by marriage? Is there really such a thing?”

Shien was full of suspicion.

This sounded like a cliché plot from a brainless wish-fulfillment story, the kind used to let the protagonist win the beauty’s hand.

But he had already devoured this beauty. Why was there such a cliché plot now?

Or did he mess up the rhythm? Was this actually the original plot that the universe had prepared for him, the protagonist? According to the original rhythm, was he supposed to develop his relationship with Lucy and win her over here? But because he acted too quickly, it became like this?

Shien had brainstormed like this when he learned about this matter.

But the truth proved that Shien wasn’t the protagonist after all.

“There’s no disaster…” Lucy whispered. “My sister misunderstood. She thought I received a revelation about a disaster, so she made a big fuss about it…”

Shien’s lips twitched. “So, it’s all a misunderstanding?”

“Yes…” Lucy said awkwardly. “It’s just a misunderstanding…”

Shien was silent for a moment, then turned around and left without hesitation.

“Don’t go!” Lucy’s expression changed, and she rushed forward, hugging Shien. “Th-this… although it’s a misunderstanding, it’s also a good opportunity!”

“A good opportunity?” Shien held Lucy’s face, pushed her away, and narrowed his eyes. “Then tell me, what kind of good opportunity is this?”

If this slacker princess dared to say that this was an opportunity to defend her sovereignty, using those noble young masters with ulterior motives to teach Shien a lesson and allow her to gain the upper hand, then Shien felt that he should seriously consider dumping her and becoming a scumbag.

Lucy saw something in Shien’s flickering eyes and shuddered, quickly saying, “Think about it, with the current situation, even if we get married, the Kingdom and its citizens won’t have any objections, right?”

Lucy’s words made Shien immediately understand her plan.

So, this slacker princess had this in mind?

“Understand?” Lucy knew that Shien had understood and immediately pressed her advantage. “Originally, it wouldn’t be so easy for us to get married. Even if I insisted, the citizens of the Kingdom would find fault, and if things got out of hand, it wouldn’t be good for anyone, right?”

This was also Shien’s concern before.

He really thought he would be torn to shreds by the Kingdom’s high-ranking officials and citizens!

This wasn’t a joke, but a real possibility.

Just think, even celebrities in his past life were harassed and cyberbullied by countless crazy fans when they announced their relationships. It wasn’t uncommon for celebrities to lose a large number of fans due to marriage, even leading to malicious incidents.

Lucy was undoubtedly a superstar in this world, even a global superstar. It could be said that the entire Kingdom was her crazy fan base.

In history, were there any countries where citizens would cause commotion and riots just because they couldn’t see the princess or didn’t know if she was doing well?

In history, were there any princesses who had to make public appearances every day to let the citizens see that she was safe and sound in order to maintain peace?

But here, there was.

Therefore, Shien was certain that if his relationship with Lucy was exposed, he would definitely be torn to shreds.

Of course, this was a secondary reason.

After all, if any crazy fans dared to provoke him, he wasn’t a vegetarian and wouldn’t show mercy just because they were ordinary citizens.

Or rather, Shien had always loathed so-called crazy fans and keyboard warriors since his past life.

If any crazy fans dared to provoke him, Shien would definitely let them know that they were just cowards in real life, only daring to attack from behind.

Therefore, what Shien was truly concerned about wasn’t these so-called crazy fans, but other factors.

For example, Shien himself might not care, but could Lucy ignore the citizens’ opinions of her?

Another example, once this matter was exposed, how many unequal treaties would he, the guilty party, be forced to sign by the royalty and nobles who were already keeping an eye on him, wanting him to work for the Kingdom?

A person was carefree because they had no worries.

Shien could be carefree, unrestrained, and do as he pleased before the royalty and nobles, but once Lucy, his little lover, was involved, considering her feelings and concerns, Shien couldn’t be so carefree anymore.

Therefore, Shien felt that his marriage with Lucy wouldn’t happen without a few years of discussion.

But now…

“As long as we claim it’s to avert a disaster, the citizens not only won’t resent it but will be moved. The royalty and nobles will even actively promote this, thinking that we’re choosing a husband, not that you have to take responsibility, and won’t make you make any promises.”

Lucy looked at Shien expectantly.

“This way, all our worries will be resolved, right?”

Lucy steered the conversation and her purpose towards resolving the hidden dangers between them.

Lucy would never admit that she did this because she was eager to confirm their relationship, secure her position as the official wife, and escape her current predicament, desperately hoping for a carefree life after marriage.

“Don’t worry, this is just a formality. After a while, I’ll announce that you are the husband I chose, and the others are just tools to facilitate our marriage!”

Lucy said these words resolutely, words that could make all the noble young masters cry.

Shien wondered if those noble young masters would still dare to challenge him to a duel after hearing these words.

At that time, those guys probably wouldn’t gather at his doorstep, but at cliffs, tall buildings, the sea, and graveyards.

Chapter 404: “I’m Screwed…”

“Viscount Buztout has returned to the royal capital!”

This news spread throughout the capital’s streets and alleys in less than ten minutes.

Since many people had personally witnessed Yulin returning to the capital and flying towards the noble district, it was incredibly easy for this news to spread.

And upon hearing this news, whether intentionally or not, everyone rushed towards the Buztout mansion.

Especially the noble sons, all of them seemingly ready to risk everything as they hurriedly gathered towards the Buztout mansion.

“Duel!”

“Duel!”

“Duel!”

This thought arose in the hearts of almost all the noble sons.

Perhaps they felt unwilling, perhaps they felt indignant, or perhaps they wanted to prove that they were no worse than this rumored Viscount. These noble sons, their heads filled with hot blood, were capable of anything.

Especially those who had been gathered in front of the Buztout mansion. Seeing Shien return, they were all extremely excited, even planning to break in.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t even get close.

“Roar—!!!”

Above the Buztout mansion, right in front of the gate, the black dragon, Yulin, hovered in the air, flapping her wings and letting out an earth-shattering roar at everyone present.

The roar transformed into a powerful gust of wind, sweeping towards them, causing the noble sons and even the commoners to scream and cry out, some stumbling, some falling to the ground, as if they had encountered a category twelve typhoon, their faces filled with terror and anger.

Yulin guarded the Buztout mansion. If anyone tried to approach, they would immediately be met with a terrifying roar.

Under such circumstances, everyone looked at the fearsome black dragon, gulped, and froze on the spot, their faces pale.

Clearly, before the famous black dragon of Atlus, no matter how arrogant they were, they didn’t think they could defeat her.

Therefore, whether nobles or commoners, no one dared to approach the Buztout mansion.

However, although they couldn’t approach, they could still shout.

Therefore, the noble sons, suppressing their fear, gritted their teeth and began to shout one after another.

“We want to see Viscount Buztout!”

“Have Viscount Buztout come out!”

“Viscount Buztout! Come out!”

“If you have the guts to collude… no, if you have the ability to win the princess’s favor, don’t you have the guts to come out?”

“Come out and duel me!”

“I must prove to the princess that I’m more suitable than you!”

“Come out!”

“Come out!”

Such shouts and curses continuously rang out.

This made Yulin very unhappy.

A group of human ants, daring to provoke her master like this?

Yulin really wanted to unleash her dragon breath and wipe them all out.

But Shien had instructed Yulin, when he left her to guard the gate, not to harm anyone unless they tried to force their way in.

Therefore, Yulin could only intimidate those humans at the gate. Her dragon breath, like flames, surged in her mouth, as if about to erupt, making many tremble in fear.

Normally, if a dragon issued such a warning, people would have run far away.

However, this time, not only the reckless commoners, but even the cowardly noble sons endured their fear and continued to shout.

Clearly, these people were absolutely unwilling to retreat just like that.

People from all corners of the capital gradually gathered here, making the area in front of the Buztout mansion incredibly lively.

…

Meanwhile, Shien had already returned to the mansion with everyone.

“Shien!”

“Mr. Shien!”

Vivian, Diere, Lumia, and Melika seemed to have received news of Shien’s return and came out of the mansion immediately, gathering before him, looking both surprised and delighted.

“Big Sister!”

“Big Sister!”

The maids and servants were overjoyed by Lasha’s return, their excitement making Shien almost wonder if he or Lasha was the true master of this house.

Of course, they also noticed the girls who came back with Shien.

Airi and Lasha, needless to say, were known to everyone.

But seeing Leisha and Lilith, they were surprised.

“S-someone who looks exactly like Miss Lasha…!?”

“C-could it be…!?”

Lumia and Melika covered their mouths in surprise.

“They…?”

Diere also looked at Leisha and Lilith, frowning.

Vivian was also surprised to see Leisha, her expression serious, probably having guessed Leisha’s identity.

Back then, on the outskirts of Larmigion, the members of Vivian’s squad had seen Lasha and knew who she was associated with. Now, seeing Leisha, who looked exactly like her, they naturally recognized her identity.

However, when Vivian saw Lilith, her eyes trembled as she stared intently at her, her gaze fixed.

Lilith’s gaze also swept over everyone present, finally stopping on Vivian, not moving away for some reason.

Leisha, on the other hand, smiled at everyone generously.

“Nice to meet you all.”

Leisha said with a smile.

Last time, on the outskirts of Larmigion, Leisha only wanted to see Shien, not the members of Vivian’s squad, so she forcibly transferred them away.

Thanks to this, this was the first time Leisha had met Vivian and the others face-to-face. Before, she had only learned of their existence while secretly observing Shien.

This was the first time Leisha and Vivian’s squad truly met.

Vivian and the others exchanged glances, seemingly unsure how to react.

Normally, Shien would try to resolve this awkwardness.

But now, Shien just wanted to understand the situation.

“What’s going on?” Shien asked Vivian and the others. “I was only gone for a few days. Why does everyone treat me like their mortal enemy now that I’m back?”

Shien’s bewildered words eased the strange atmosphere that had somehow formed.

Vivian and the others returned to normal, looking at the confused Shien and couldn’t help but laugh.

“If you had come back a few days later, they might really treat you like their mortal enemy.”

Vivian teased.

“Actually, in the eyes of those nobles, you’re even more hateful than their mortal enemy now.”

Diere couldn’t help but add.

“How did I offend them?” Shien said, as if he had been wronged. “It’s not that big of a deal, is it?”

Is it?

It really is!

Vivian and the others looked at Shien with strange expressions.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Shien, feeling a little guilty under their gazes, could only bluster, “I didn’t do anything to offend so many people!”

Well, no matter what, deny it first.

Although Shien himself wasn’t sure if he had done anything to offend the entire capital.

Vivian and the others, unaware of Shien’s thoughts, just chuckled.

“Shien,” Vivian patted Shien’s shoulder, “don’t worry, this is a good thing.”

“A good thing?” Shien was stunned.

“It is indeed a good thing.” Diere said indifferently, as if unconcerned, “At least, for you, it is.”

“A good thing for me?” Shien frowned.

Lumia and Melika’s reactions were different from Vivian and Diere’s. One seemed to admire him, while the other seemed aggrieved, making Shien even more confused.

Airi, who had been silent, suddenly became impatient for some reason.

“Since it’s a good thing, then there’s no need for me to be here. I’ll go back to my room and sleep.”

Airi turned around and left, as if she was in a bad mood.

“Miss Lilith, let’s go and see your room too.”

Lasha returned, seemingly having left at some point to gather firsthand information from the maids and servants. Now that she seemed to know the whole story, she took Lilith, who also looked confused, away.

“It seems interesting, but it has nothing to do with me. I’ll have Lasha take me to choose a room as well.”

Leisha said nonchalantly, or rather, seemingly amused by Shien’s confusion, and left cheerfully.

“Wait…”

Shien wanted to stop them, but after thinking about it, he decided to deal with this matter first.

Seeing this, Vivian and the others stopped beating around the bush.

“Actually, not long ago, the Kingdom announced to the entire world that Princess Lucy was choosing a husband.”

Diere revealed the truth directly.

“You’re saying what?”

This sudden news stunned Shien.

Husband selection?

Lucy was choosing a husband?

Why?

Shien was confused.

And what they said next confused him even more.

“It’s true, Mr. Shien.”

Lumia quickly said, as if worried Shien wouldn’t believe it.

“W-we were also shocked when we found out…”

Melika’s tone became increasingly aggrieved, like a child whose favorite toy had been taken away, dejected.

“Th-then why are they so hostile towards me?”

Shien had a bad premonition.

As expected…

“Because the Kingdom has already announced that you, Viscount Shien Buztout, are Princess Lucy’s top candidate for a husband.”

Vivian’s words made Shien’s lips twitch.

Only one thought remained in his mind.

“I’m screwed…”

Chapter 403: Becoming a Public Enemy

“We’re here.”

On the back of the black dragon, Lasha looked at the bustling city standing on the earth below and said,

“I’m back, royal capital.”

Leisha, who had once invaded the royal capital as a member of the Old Demon Faction, looked at the prosperous city and sighed with emotion.

“Roar!”

Yulin roared, flapping her wings and landing in the clouds above the capital.

Shien, holding Lilith’s hand, smiled.

“Look, that’s the royal capital.”

Shien smiled at Lilith beside him and introduced the city.

Lilith nodded, gazing at the bustling city below, curiosity in her eyes.

Because this was the first time Lilith had left the Stalim Duchy and come to a city in another territory.

For the past ten thousand years, although Lilith wasn’t completely sealed in the dark temple like her uncontrolled main body and had a certain degree of freedom, this freedom was relative.

She could leave the temple, the independent space where the temple was exiled, and even Cosmos, but she couldn’t leave the Stalim Duchy, straying too far from her main body’s location.

As the rational half, if Lilith left her main body’s location too far, she might lose her connection with it and be unable to return to the temple.

Therefore, Beatrice, Lilith’s previous self, had only been active within the Stalim Duchy and had never left.

Until now, Lilith was finally able to leave the Stalim Duchy. The world was vast, and there was no place this evil god, comparable to a Demon Lord, couldn’t go.

Of course, wherever the Hero beside her was, that was where she should be.

Lilith had already made this decision. Therefore, as long as Shien was willing to stay in the Stalim Duchy, she was also willing to stay.

However, Shien naturally wouldn’t want to stay in the Stalim Duchy forever.

Even though Barry had been dealt with, and it was no longer enemy territory, Shien had no intention of staying there.

For the current Shien, the only place he could settle down was the royal capital.

After all, his home was there, and there were people he cared about, and who cared about him.

The Shien who swore not to stay in the royal capital was dead!

How ironic!

As Shien felt a sense of frustration, he noticed Airi, who was yawning beside him, frowning.

“What’s wrong?”

Shien asked.

“Nothing.” Airi relaxed her frown, seemingly uninterested. “I just feel like there are more people in the royal capital, and the city seems livelier than before.”

“Livelier?” Shien was slightly taken aback, then looked down.

He noticed that even from the clouds, he could still see streams of people, like ants, coming from all directions, continuously entering the capital, making it much more bustling and noisy than usual.

Shien even sensed considerable magic power from those people.

What did this mean?

It meant that those people coming from all directions were all quite powerful.

“Why are there so many experts suddenly?”

Shien was surprised.

“Those people seem to be nobles from other places and the knight orders escorting them.”

Leisha also seemed to notice this, using some magic to investigate, and became puzzled.

“Nobles and knight orders from other places?”

Shien frowned.

Why were there so many nobles suddenly coming to the royal capital?

Had something happened?

Shien pondered.

Seeing Shien lost in thought, Lasha said with an impassive face, “Let’s go back, Mr. Shien.”

“You’re right.” Shien nodded. “Instead of guessing here, it’s better to go back and see for ourselves.”

Saying so, Shien patted Yulin’s head.

“Roar!”

Yulin immediately understood Shien’s meaning and, after a roar, swooped down.

The scene of the black dragon descending from the clouds and flying towards the royal capital was seen by many people inside and outside the city.

“A dragon…!?”

“There’s a dragon!”

“A dragon appeared!”

“Oh my god!”

Outside the capital, many people were shocked and panicked.

On the other hand, the people inside the capital, and some nobles, although their expressions changed upon seeing the descending black dragon, didn’t lose their composure.

“Is that the black dragon of Atlus?”

“Viscount Buztout’s tamed mount…?”

“So, Viscount Buztout is on its back?”

“I heard he recently left the capital and went to the Stalim Duchy.”

“It seems he’s back.”

“Tsk, coming back at this time…”

“Hmph…”

Some of these people were curious, some were scrutinizing, but most of them seemed resentful and unwilling for some reason, chattering amongst themselves.

Even the people inside the capital were like this.

“Viscount Buztout is back!”

“He’s finally back?”

“What a lucky guy…”

“Indeed…”

At this moment, whether nobles or commoners, they all looked at the descending black dragon, some whispering, some discussing, some lost in thought, some showing the same resentment and unwillingness, and some even exuding hostility, glaring at the black dragon as if it were their mortal enemy.

And at this moment, Shien, on the dragon’s back, was dumbfounded.

The reason was simple.

As he got closer to the royal capital and appeared before everyone, Shien discovered that his [Enemy Detection] skill was reacting intensely.

Red dots, symbolizing enemies, rapidly appeared in Shien’s mind, increasing at an alarming rate, telling him that a large number of people in the capital were hostile towards him.

These hostile people almost occupied the entire capital.

“This…”

Shien was stunned and dumbfounded.

What was going on?

Had he done something wrong?

Why did it seem like he had become a public enemy in the capital after just a few days away?

“What’s wrong? Your expression is so strange.”

Leisha noticed Shien’s dazed state and asked, half surprised, half confused.

“N-nothing.” Shien finally suppressed his shock, but he was still shaken. He looked at Leisha, hesitated, and asked in a low voice, “Did I do something wrong?”

This sudden question stunned Leisha.

She looked at Shien, and the first thing that appeared in her ruby-like eyes wasn’t surprise or confusion, but an inexplicable emotion.

Shien seemed to see a sentence in Leisha’s eyes.

“Whether you did something wrong or not, don’t you know yourself?”

Shien saw this sentence in Leisha’s eyes.

Shien fell silent.

He couldn’t refute it!

Therefore, Shien also panicked a little.

“Could it be that something I did was exposed?”

Shien desperately racked his brains, hoping to remember something.

Sadly, Shien discovered that there were quite a few things he had a clue about!

This made Shien completely unsure which one had been exposed.

After thinking about it, Shien could only think of one possibility.

“It must be because I was too kind and took in Leisha, a wanted criminal of the Kingdom, and this matter was exposed, which is why I became a public enemy in the capital!”

Shien immediately used his Unique Skill—[Shifting Blame].

Shien unconsciously reached out and grabbed Leisha’s shoulder.

“…What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? Then why are you grabbing my shoulder?”

“Because we have a good relationship, right?”

“…Is that so?”

“Of course. People with good relationships often put their arms around each other’s shoulders. Didn’t you know?”

“I know, but I don’t know why I feel a little uneasy now. I feel like you’re planning something bad.”

“You’re overthinking it.”

“…Really?”

“Really.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Then can you tell me what you’re thinking right now?”

“Nothing. I’m just thinking, if the matter of me taking you in is exposed, then handing you over might not only clear my name but also earn me some merit.”

“…”

“…”

After this exchange, Shien and Leisha fell silent, then started fighting without saying a word.

And as the two were fighting, Yulin flew into the royal capital, heading towards the center of the noble district.

There, the Buztout mansion appeared before everyone’s eyes.

However, they discovered that a large number of nobles and commoners were gathered in front of the Buztout mansion’s gate.

These nobles and commoners gathered together, and voices continuously rang out.

“I’m the son of Count Citri! Viscount Buztout, come out and face me in a duel!”

“I’m the son of Count Kiduse! Viscount Buztout, come out and face me in a duel!”

“I’m from a Marquis family!”

“I’m from a Duke family!”

“Accept our challenge!”

“We demand a duel!”

“Yes! A duel!”

The nobles shouted, with knights standing guard beside them, and commoners gathered around, seemingly wanting to see what the owner of this mansion was capable of, making the scene very noisy.

It was as if someone had implemented tyrannical policies, and the innocent citizens couldn’t bear it any longer, rising up to protest and overthrow the tyrant and dictator.

“Th-th-th-this…!?”

Shien was dumbfounded.

Even the others were startled by this scene.

“Are… are you this unpopular in the capital?”

Leisha was bewildered.

“…You… didn’t you really do something terrible?”

Even Airi looked at him with suspicion.

“…”

Lasha didn’t say anything, just silently stared at Shien, but it gave him the greatest pressure.

“?”

Lilith tilted her head, her face full of question marks.

Shien really wanted to shout,

“What’s going on…!?”

Just like that, without even knowing it, Shien had become a public enemy.

T/N: I’ve made some corrections to the character names.

Specifically, I’ve changed ‘Liece’ to ‘Charl’, Charl is the A-rank knight assigned to protect Princess Lia. I was using instead of Charl … Liece

The real character ‘Liece’ appeared around 10 times since I started translating, and I didn’t even notice the discrepancy 🙁

Additionally, I’ve edited the demon king’s name from ‘Cethus’ to ‘Claudis’, as per the previous translation.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep the main protagonist’s name as Shien ‘Buztout’ (布兹图特, Xī ēn · Bù zī tú tè), which differs from the previous translator’s choice of Shien ‘Bayztrot’. Both are valid, sound similar.

Regarding Lucy’s full name, it’s actually Roselucy or Roselucia. However, the author mostly refers to her as simply ‘Lucy’ (around 80% of the time). The previous translator used ‘Lucilosti’ for her full name, which is essentially the same as ‘Losti’ (similar sound like ‘Rose’) followed by ‘Lucy’.

Thanks for pointing out these errors in the comments 🙂 I didn’t even notice them.

Chapter 402: “Official Wife,” I’m Taking That Title

“Thud!”

A stack of parchment, like a mountain of documents, landed before Lucy, leaving her dumbfounded.

“Phew…”

Lia, standing before Lucy, seemed to have exerted quite a bit of effort. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she smiled brightly and said, “Here, choose.”

“Choose?” Lucy finally reacted, looking at her sister in surprise. “Choose what?”

“A person, of course.” Lia said matter-of-factly. “I’ve compiled all the information on your suitors, as well as the distinguished individuals from various countries and races who contacted us in a hurry after hearing the news, all claiming to propose marriage. Take your time and choose until you’re satisfied.”

“Huh?” Lucy was completely bewildered.

She understood every word Lia said.

But, to use a phrase from her past life, she understood each word individually, but when put together, she couldn’t comprehend the meaning at all.

Lia thought Lucy was shocked by her efficiency and said proudly, “I told you, the Kingdom is on your side. As long as you have a request, we will mobilize the entire nation to fulfill your wish.”

This mountain of information was compiled by the Kingdom of Mitra with the highest efficiency, top priority, and utmost speed and enthusiasm.

“Although you have high standards and probably won’t be interested in ninety-nine percent of these guys, we will continue to gather and filter candidates until you find a satisfactory husband.”

Saying so, Lia handed a quill to the bewildered Lucy.

“Here, rate them according to your preferences. The full score is one hundred. The higher the score, the higher your evaluation and satisfaction. The Kingdom will determine how to treat these suitors based on your satisfaction and evaluation.”

“Those suitors are currently on their way to the royal capital. We will eliminate those with scores below fifty for you. Only those with scores above fifty can enter the palace and have the opportunity to pursue you.”

“Of course, there might be some outstanding talents you haven’t noticed, so starting today, we will hold a talent show and martial arts competition during your daily public appearance ceremony for you to personally review.”

“If you think someone performs well, you can increase their score.”

“This is a husband selection competition based entirely on your preferences and evaluations.”

“Don’t feel pressured. If you don’t like someone, give them a low score. Don’t settle. These are Father’s instructions.”

“Perhaps there isn’t much time left before the disaster strikes, but Father’s meaning is that if you can’t find anyone satisfactory, even if it means losing face as the Hero’s Kingdom, we can ask other countries for help, even the Divine Race.”

“Really, if all else fails, we can mobilize the entire nation to fight against this disaster. I don’t believe that with the strength of the Kingdom of Mitra, we can’t overcome this difficulty.”

Lia continued, her words filled with comfort and encouragement for Lucy, as well as a sense of determination and fighting spirit.

But Lucy became increasingly bewildered.

“Score?”

“Husband selection?”

“Martial arts competition?”

“Disaster?”

“Difficulty?”

Why did she understand less and less?

Lucy held the quill blankly, looking at the mountain of parchment before her, her eyelid suddenly twitching.

Because on top of this pile of parchment, the first thing that caught Lucy’s eye was information about someone she knew very well.

“Name: Shien Buztout.”

“Race: Human.”

“Affiliation: Kingdom of Mitra.”

“Status: Honorary Viscount.”

“Experience: A commoner adventurer from Larmigion in the Mulau Marquisate. Entered the royal capital due to his meritorious service in subjugating the Old Demon Faction’s [Assassination Branch]. Admired by His Majesty, but refused the Kingdom’s first offer of ennoblement during the audience. Only after the Garibaldi family betrayed the Kingdom and secretly colluded with the Old Demon Faction, did he tame the black dragon in the Atlus Gorge, annihilate the Garibaldi family, cause the Kingdom Knight Order to lose nearly half of its forces, and make another great contribution, receiving the Kingdom’s second offer of ennoblement, which he accepted, becoming a newly appointed noble in the royal capital, bestowed the title of Viscount.”

“Evaluation: Suspected to possess a Unique Skill that can enhance his level and skills under certain conditions, and masters the [Taming] skill at a very high level. Considered one of the most outstanding talents of the new generation in the Kingdom due to his ability to single-handedly subjugate the [Assassination Branch] and tame the black dragon of Atlus. Moreover, he seems to have private connections with a Demon Lord and a close relationship with Princess Lucy. Although his title isn’t high, the Kingdom still considers him the top candidate for Princess Lucy’s husband and suggests giving him a high score.”

After seeing this information, Lucy could only focus on one thing.

“Top candidate?”

Didn’t that mean that the Kingdom also considered Shien the most suitable person to be her husband?

Excellent! Good eye!

Lucy’s mood suddenly brightened, and she picked up the parchment with Shien’s information, looking at it with a smile, not even glancing at the other parchments.

Seeing Lucy’s expression, Lia wasn’t surprised but thought to herself, as expected.

(As expected, Lucy likes this guy the most.)

Whether it was Lia, Ancil, or the many high-ranking officials of the Kingdom, they all knew this.

Therefore, after some deliberation, Lia and Ancil decided to list Shien as the top candidate for Lucy’s husband, even though Ancil seemed a bit displeased. But this time, the goal was to choose a husband entirely based on Lucy’s preferences and evaluation. Therefore, even if Ancil wasn’t very willing, and the rest of the Kingdom was even more against it, Lia still pushed through and made this decision.

Of course, Lia didn’t know that her beloved sister had already been completely devoured by this so-called top candidate.

If she knew, there would be no need for a selection process, just directly appoint the winner.

However, if that were the case, Shien would definitely be in trouble. The royal family wouldn’t let him off the hook.

Although they couldn’t really do anything to Shien, he had, after all, acted like a beast and devoured their treasure. Being forced to sign a series of unequal treaties was foreseeable.

But now, because they didn’t know about this and had to actively choose a husband for Lucy, the royal family not only couldn’t find fault with him, but they also had to willingly offer their treasure.

At least, that’s what Lia thought, causing her to feel both emotional and a bit melancholic.

Her most beloved and outstanding sister was finally about to be taken advantage of!

Lia felt a pang of sadness in her heart, as if she had lost something important.

But… everything was for Lucy!

Her own feelings didn’t matter!

Convincing herself, Lia calmed down and said, “How is it? The Kingdom’s intelligence gathering capabilities are quite good, right? You can take your time to choose.”

Lucy really wanted to tell Lia that there was no need to choose, she only wanted the one in her hand.

But feeling that something was wrong, Lucy decided to ask first.

“Why are we suddenly choosing a husband?”

Lucy asked in confusion.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to get married?” Lia said confidently. “In that case, we’ll gather all the outstanding heroes from all over the world for you to choose from!”

“Huh?” Lucy’s eyes widened.

Lia then explained the reason to Lucy.

It turned out that, thanks to Lia’s strong push, after learning that Lucy wanted to sacrifice her own happiness for the Kingdom (?), they had decided to gather all the heroes in the world for Lucy to choose a husband before the disaster struck.

For this purpose, the Kingdom had already held a grand conference and announced the news.

Once the news spread, the world was shocked.

Especially the young masters of the royal families and nobles, their eyes turned red as they caused an uproar in their homes, eventually sending marriage proposals to the Kingdom through their families.

In other words, now, not only the Kingdom, but almost the entire human world knew that the Kingdom’s treasure was about to choose a husband.

This undoubtedly shook the entire human world, and the citizens of the Kingdom were even more excited.

Especially after learning that Lucy was doing this to save the Kingdom and fight against the disaster, everyone was deeply moved.

Therefore, this matter had become public, making the royal capital lively and attracting heroes from all over the world.

“This…”

After learning what had happened, Lucy was dumbfounded.

Fight against a disaster?

When… when did she say such a thing?

Sacrifice her own happiness?

No way!

Her happiness was about to begin! She had been looking forward to her life after marrying Shien for who knew how long. Now they wanted her to sacrifice her happiness and choose a husband?

No way!

Lucy was about to explode.

However, just as Lucy was about to protest, Lia said,

“If it were any other time, it wouldn’t be easy for you to choose a husband. At least, many citizens of the Kingdom wouldn’t want to see you get married, their admired and adored princess becoming someone else’s possession. If these people rioted, it would be a serious matter.” Lia said thankfully, “Fortunately, this time you’re doing this for the Kingdom, to fight against the disaster. The people are deeply moved and have chosen to support you. So, even if they’re unwilling, they will accept whoever you choose, right?”

These words stopped Lucy’s impending protest.

…Would they accept it?

“Really?” Lucy couldn’t help but ask. “As long as it’s someone I choose, you will all accept it?”

“Of course.” Lia said without hesitation. “We don’t want to see you sacrifice your own happiness and settle, so this time, everyone will accept the husband you choose. You will receive everyone’s blessings.”

Receive everyone’s blessings…

Everyone’s blessings…

Blessings…

Lucy looked at the parchment with Shien’s information in her hand, her eyes shining brightly.

“How about it?” Lia asked Lucy. “What do you think?”

Lucy answered without hesitation.

“Good!”

It couldn’t be better!

Lucy seemed to see a throne flying towards her from the void.

Two large characters were carved on the throne—”Official Wife.”

Chapter 401: I’m the Official Wife, and That’s Final.

At this moment, Lia’s expression turned completely serious.

Not only Lia, but even Charl’s face was filled with shock as she tensed up.

If this matter was related to a revelation from the Goddess of Fate, then it was no joking matter.

At least, that’s what Lia and Charl thought.

From their perspective, the meaning of “If we don’t get married soon, something bad might happen” was naturally different.

(Could it be that some terrible disaster is about to happen, and the only way to avoid it is for Lucy to get married?)

Lia couldn’t help but worry about this.

The incident in Cosmos was now public knowledge.

Everyone knew that the fortress city of Cosmos had been destroyed and was completely gone.

The Stalim Duchy’s First Knight Order was also missing, and even Capeline, the Valkyrie of the Empire, had disappeared along with the Severed Blade Knights. Therefore, for the people of the Kingdom and the Empire, disaster had already struck once.

According to the information gathered by the royal family, the beastmen seemed to have released news that the leader of the Old Demon Faction’s [Mirage], who caused this incident, hadn’t been dealt with, and the human mastermind who collaborated with him was also still active.

Since that was the case, it was highly likely that these terrorists hadn’t left the Kingdom and were still lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity.

In other words, disaster might be unexpectedly close.

Perhaps, in the shadows of the Kingdom, a new conspiracy was brewing, ready to strike.

Lucy’s blessing might have captured the precursor to the disaster and given her a revelation.

“…Is the situation very serious?”

Lia asked Lucy in a deep voice.

Lucy naturally didn’t know what Lia was thinking. Seeing her serious expression, she thought her sister was concerned about her marriage.

(Although she always teases me, Sister Lia really does care about me.)

Lucy was touched and replied seriously,

“Of course, it’s serious. It’s not a joking matter at all.”

Lucy’s expression was unprecedentedly serious.

Although she didn’t mind Shien taking one or two concubines, they had to be just that – concubines. She was a princess, renowned in the human world and with a certain status in the Divine Realm. If she couldn’t even be the official wife, not only would she become a laughingstock, but the Kingdom would also be ridiculed by other countries.

Therefore, Lucy was certain that if Shien’s official wife was someone else, the Kingdom wouldn’t allow her to marry him, no matter what.

Even though Lucy had considerable influence in the Kingdom and didn’t need to obey anyone’s orders, it didn’t mean that she didn’t care about the reputation of the royal family and the Kingdom.

Therefore, she had to be the official wife.

If she couldn’t, then marrying Shien was basically out of the question.

Unless Lucy abandoned her family and the Kingdom, stubbornly eloping with Shien, the Kingdom would try to stop it, even at the risk of offending her.

Lucy could decide her own marriage.

However, Lucy didn’t want to cause a rift with the Kingdom because of this.

If she was the official wife, then the Kingdom would have to accept it, no matter how reluctant. But if Lucy settled for being a concubine, then the entire nation might riot.

It was because Lucy was thinking about this that she was worried and distracted.

Therefore, this matter was very serious, not a joking matter at all.

Hearing Lucy’s words and seeing her serious expression, Lia’s heart tightened.

(It seems to be a terrible disaster, making Lucy so worried.)

Lia felt that she might understand why her sister was acting so strangely.

(She definitely doesn’t want to see the Kingdom suffer such a terrible disaster, but the only way to resolve it is to get married, so she’s worried, right?)

Her sister was so responsible, fulfilling her duties as a princess of the Kingdom. If she knew that only marriage could avert a terrible disaster, she would definitely choose to get married.

Even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness, she wouldn’t hesitate.

This was the true reason behind “I want to get married.”

It must be!

Feeling that she had grasped the truth, Lia couldn’t help but feel touched.

(Although she usually seems indifferent to us and the citizens, Lucy does care about us.)

Thinking of this, Lia made up her mind.

“Don’t worry, Lucy.” Lia looked at her sister with determination and said seriously, “I, as your older sister, will help you.”

Lucy was slightly taken aback.

“Help me? How?” Lucy smiled wryly. “Only I can do this. No one can help me.”

Right?

If it came to the point where she needed to use the power of the royal family and the Kingdom to compete for favor, then even if she won in the end, it wouldn’t be convincing, right?

Moreover, Shien definitely wouldn’t want to see her resorting to any means to suppress the other women around him just for the position of official wife.

Besides, she wouldn’t stoop to such methods.

Therefore, no one could help her with this matter. She could only rely on her own strength to fight for it.

As Lucy was thinking this, Lia suddenly grabbed her hand.

“Don’t say that, Lucy.” Lia gripped Lucy’s hand tightly and said resolutely, “It’s not beyond saving yet. We can plan this carefully. Maybe we can achieve a perfect ending?”

At this moment, Lia racked her brains, trying to come up with ideas.

(Even if she has to get married, it doesn’t necessarily mean Lucy has to sacrifice her happiness.)

(As long as Lucy finds a husband she truly likes before the disaster strikes, wouldn’t the problem be solved?)

(Although Lucy has high standards, being the most outstanding genius in the world, and no man seems worthy of her, if we lower the bar a bit, there should still be some who can meet the requirements, right?)

(Then, as long as we work hard to make that person someone Lucy likes, wouldn’t that solve the problem?)

(Yes! That’s what we’ll do!)

Lia’s eyes grew brighter, completely oblivious to Lucy’s following words.

“Indeed, it’s not a lost cause yet. I won’t lose!”

Lucy cheered herself on.

Charl, watching Lucy cheering herself on and Lia racking her brains for a solution, couldn’t help but murmur,

“Why… why do I feel like something’s not right?”

Charl was confused.

At this moment, Lia stood up.

“I’ll go discuss this with Father right now!” Lia said to Lucy in a determined voice. “Don’t worry, Lucy, trust your sister, I’ll make you happy!”

Leaving these words behind, Lia turned and left.

“P-Princess Lia!?”

Seeing this, Charl hurriedly followed.

“Sister Lia…”

Lucy watched Lia leave with a touched expression, her heart filled with even greater determination.

“Yes, I will definitely be happy.”

Even for her sister, who was so considerate of her, she couldn’t lose to anyone.

Official wife, I’m taking that title.

…

Meanwhile, Lia, unaware of her huge misunderstanding, hurriedly sought an audience with her father, Ancil, and told him everything about Lucy.

“What!?”

Ancil stood up in surprise.

“A great disaster that can only be averted by Princess Lucy’s marriage?”

Aldia, who was by Ancil’s side, also frowned.

Both of them wanted to ask Lia what kind of joke this was.

But Lia looked anxious.

“It’s all true, Father.” Lia said quickly, “I heard it with my own ears. This seems to be why Lucy has been acting so strangely recently. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Charl.”

“Huh?” Charl was stunned, completely surprised that she was brought into this.

Ancil looked at Charl with a frown and asked, “Is this true?”

Aldia also looked at Charl.

Being stared at by the king and a legendary knight, Charl held her breath.

Therefore, even though she felt like something was wrong, Charl still answered truthfully,

“I did hear Princess Lucy say that if she doesn’t get married, something bad might happen.”

Charl repeated what she had heard verbatim.

Ancil and Aldia exchanged glances, their expressions turning serious.

“…What does Lucy think about this?”

Ancil asked Lia in a deep voice.

“She’s worried.” Lia said frankly, “But she seems willing to sacrifice her own happiness and the rest of her life for the sake of the Kingdom and for us.”

Ancil understood what she meant.

“For the sake of the Kingdom, Lucy has already decided to accept marriage, Father.” Lia quickly said, “We can’t just watch Lucy sacrifice herself!”

Lia’s tone was filled with sadness.

Ancil’s mood also soured.

He truly valued and cherished Lucy.

Lucy had never disappointed Ancil, nor anyone else. Her outstanding performance exceeded everyone’s expectations, which was why she was loved and admired by everyone in the country.

Otherwise, how could Lucy be called the Kingdom’s treasure?

Because of this, Ancil didn’t want to see his precious daughter sacrifice her happiness for the Kingdom and for them.

But as the king, Ancil couldn’t ignore a potential disaster that could threaten the Kingdom.

“What do you think, Aldia?”

Ancil could only ask for Aldia’s opinion.

“…I don’t know. This isn’t something I’m good at handling.” Aldia was silent for a moment, then said with an impassive face, “But I think, once the nobles of the Kingdom learn about this, they will definitely advise Your Majesty to persuade the Princess to agree.”

This matter concerned the survival of the Kingdom, so the nobles naturally wouldn’t oppose it.

They would even actively promote it, hoping for Lucy to marry one of their own offspring.

This way, they could not only avert the disaster but also fulfill their desire for a marriage alliance with the unparalleled Kingdom’s treasure. It was a win-win situation.

Who would oppose such a good thing?

Lia naturally also thought of this.

“Just them? Do they really think they’re worthy of Lucy?”

Lia said with disdain.

“Then what do you think we should do?”

Ancil turned his gaze to his daughter again.

“I think, Father,” Lia said immediately, “even if Lucy has to get married, we must help her choose someone outstanding enough, someone who can also win Lucy’s heart.”

Saying so, Lia told Ancil her plan.

Listening to Lia’s plan, Ancil frowned, seemingly not quite agreeing.

But in the end, persuaded by Lia, Ancil sighed and nodded.

“If Lucy has no objections, then let’s do it this way.”

Ancil’s words made Lia smile.

Thus, a commotion that would sweep across the entire world quietly began.

Chapter 400: “If We Don’t Get Married Soon, Something Bad Might Happen.”

“Crash!”

The sound of porcelain shattering against the floor was exceptionally clear, disrupting the elegant and refined atmosphere of the princess’s bedroom.

But Lia, the culprit, no longer cared about such a minor matter.

“M-married?”

Lia was completely dumbfounded.

“Cough…!?”

Not only Lia, but even Charl, standing silently behind her, widened her eyes and coughed, a bit of saliva escaping her lips, her impeccable, noble knight image momentarily ruined.

The two of them were completely stunned, staring blankly at the serious Lucy, unable to react for a long time.

Lucy thought that she hadn’t made herself clear, so she repeated,

“I want to get married.”

These straightforward words truly stunned Lia and Charl.

“Sister Lia?”

Seeing that Lia couldn’t even react, just staring blankly at her, Lucy frowned slightly and called out to her, seemingly wanting to say something.

“Wait!” Lia didn’t give Lucy the chance, raising her hand to stop her. “Let me process this first.”

Lia pressed her temples and rubbed them a few times, as if suspecting she was experiencing mental fatigue and had misheard. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths.

After that, Lia seemed to recover, opening her eyes again, regaining her composure, and staring intently at Lucy.

“You said, you want to do what?”

Lia stared at Lucy, hoping that everything she had just heard was just an auditory hallucination.

Unfortunately, this hope was ruthlessly shattered by Lucy.

“I want to get married.” Lucy said wistfully, as if she hadn’t noticed Lia’s unusual behavior. “What should I do?”

No, no, I’m the one who should be asking what to do…!

Lia wanted to shout.

Not only Lia, but even Charl looked dizzy and dazed.

But what could they do?

What did they just hear?

Lucy wanted to get married?

The Kingdom’s treasure wanted to marry someone?

This… this wasn’t good at all…!

“I say, Lucy,” Lia said, unable to stay calm, “can you tell me why you suddenly want to… get married?”

First, they had to understand this.

Otherwise, there would be no progress.

Even Charl couldn’t help but say,

“Weren’t you always uninterested in marriage, Princess?” Charl asked, surprised and uncertain. “Whether it was nobles from the Kingdom, royalty from other countries, or even important figures from other races, you always rejected all marriage proposals without hesitation, right?”

Although Lucy was only seventeen, very young, in this world, fifteen was considered the age of adulthood.

Since she was an adult, she could get married.

Couples who married at fifteen or sixteen were common in this world.

And for royalty and nobles, engagements might be arranged even before they were born.

Especially princesses, who were often betrothed at birth for political marriages. There were countless examples.

Lia, for instance, was already engaged, but she wasn’t interested in her fiancé at all. Therefore, even though she was eighteen, an adult for three years, she hadn’t married him, constantly delaying, causing the royal family to be criticized by his family.

But Lucy was different. Countless people had proposed, enough to line up from the human world to the Divine Realm or the Demon Realm, yet her marriage hadn’t been decided.

This was only natural.

Lucy’s magic power had startled the Divine Realm at the moment of her birth, causing Lildas, the Goddess of Fate, to descend and bestow her blessing.

The royal family and the Kingdom placed high hopes on her from the very beginning, valuing her potential immensely.

Under such circumstances, not knowing how much value Lucy could bring, they naturally wouldn’t easily betroth her to anyone.

Who knew if the other party was worthy of Lucy?

Who knew if it would be considered marrying beneath her?

Who knew if the other party had ulterior motives?

Who knew if the Kingdom would be restricted by this marriage in the future?

Therefore, before knowing how much Lucy could achieve, and before knowing if she would inherit the throne and become the queen of Mitra, the Kingdom wouldn’t dare to easily arrange a marriage for her.

As Lucy’s talent gradually manifested and became increasingly astonishing, eventually even the Holy Sword recognized her, and the Divine Race even invited her to become a resident of the Divine Realm, Lucy’s status became more and more transcendent. As a result, there were more and more suitors, but the Kingdom became even more hesitant to arrange a marriage, afraid of offending Lucy and displeasing the Divine Race.

Moreover, Lucy had always been perfect, but she never got close to any man and rejected all suitors without hesitation. This princess’s marriage hadn’t been confirmed until now.

Lia also knew that with Lucy’s current influence in the Kingdom, as long as she didn’t want to, no one could force her into a marriage. She had envied this and thought that perhaps her exceptionally outstanding sister wouldn’t be interested in any man and wouldn’t get married.

That was why, when Lia learned about Lucy’s close relationship with Shien, she was so surprised and curious.

Lia had never thought that she would hear the words “I want to get married” from her outstanding sister.

Who would have thought that today, Lucy would give her such a surprise, or rather, a huge shock?

Lia had no idea that Lucy herself also had her own unspeakable difficulties.

“I’ve already been eaten clean. Can I not get married?”

Lucy really wanted to shout this in her heart.

Of course, this was only one of the reasons.

Lucy didn’t accept marriage proposals in the past, not because she looked down on anyone, but because she knew that she wasn’t as perfect as others imagined, and she didn’t want to play the role of a perfect princess in front of her life partner forever. That was why she didn’t want to accept any marriage proposals or get close to any man.

It wasn’t until she met Shien, someone who knew and understood her, and gradually developed special feelings for him through their daily interactions, that Lucy finally abandoned some of her previous insistence.

In other words, this most beautiful woman in the human race wasn’t that difficult to deal with.

On the contrary, Lucy was surprisingly easy to win over.

Because no one had ever seen her true self, Lucy was lonely.

Because she never dared to reveal her true self, Lucy was isolated.

As Nien said, she was a very lonely and isolated princess.

For such a princess, once someone entered her real world, saw her true self, and interacted with her without any reservations, becoming her only confidant, it would be incredibly easy to win her favor.

Otherwise, if she were truly difficult to win over, how could Lucy have given her [True Mark] to Shien?

At that time, they had only just started to develop a slightly ambiguous relationship. Before that, they were just friends who accompanied and understood each other’s secrets.

It wasn’t until that kiss in front of the Buztout mansion that their relationship had a breakthrough.

But with just this small breakthrough, Lucy entrusted her [True Mark] without hesitation.

Was this because Lucy was deeply in love with Shien?

No.

Although Shien held a special place in Lucy’s heart, they hadn’t experienced any life-or-death situations or hardships together. How deep could their feelings be?

Shien was the same. He hadn’t intended to do anything with Lucy at first. The reason he eventually made a move, wasn’t it more because he was attracted to her beauty and body than because he loved her? (Said with a straight face.)

But sometimes, a relationship didn’t require passionate love. A little bit of warmth and joy in their daily interactions was enough.

This was the case with Shien and Lucy.

Both possessed a Holy Sword and the title of Hero.

With similar abilities, common topics, shared secrets, mutual understanding, and a harmonious relationship, once there was even a small breakthrough, everything would naturally fall into place.

That was how it was for Shien. After that kiss, he saw Lucy as an attractive woman and, driven by a foolish man’s impulses, took advantage of every opportunity.

If he didn’t devour the meat delivered to his doorstep, it wasn’t a question of being a Hero, but a question of being a man.

Anyway, he would take responsibility, be sincere, and pay for his actions. As long as he didn’t become a scumbag, that was enough. Passionate love was for dramas. It could exist in reality, but it wasn’t always necessary.

As for feelings, Shien could always develop them later!

Lucy probably thought the same way. That was why, after their breakthrough, she felt that she could be with Shien, and there might not be another person like him, so she resolutely entrusted her [True Mark].

Lucy knew she had to change.

Otherwise, the rest of her life would probably be boring, lonely, and isolated.

Therefore, Lucy came together with Shien and, after experiencing the pleasures between a man and a woman, completely fell for him.

Shien and Lucy definitely had feelings for each other now, much stronger than when Lucy entrusted her [True Mark] and Shien took her.

This was also a form of love, but others didn’t think Lucy was this type.

And now, Lucy was truly looking forward to her married life with Shien.

Then, she wouldn’t have to be a princess anymore, wouldn’t have to stay in the palace, wouldn’t have to do those boring tasks, and could completely be herself, without any pretense.

Lucy truly dreamed of such a life.

However, Lucy also knew that now wasn’t the time to talk about marriage.

Mainly because of Shien, who was worried about being torn to shreds by the citizens of Mitra.

Lucy was also worried that her sudden marriage would affect the Kingdom and the royal family, so she hadn’t planned to rush.

But now…

“I have a premonition.”

Lucy muttered unconsciously.

“If we don’t get married soon, something bad might happen.”

Lucy recently felt like her man was about to be snatched away, and if she didn’t defend her position, she might lose him.

But in Lia’s ears, these words had a different meaning.

“Could it be a revelation from the blessing?”

Lia’s expression changed.

Lia is Liabella or Liadella – literary her name is Lia De Ella or something like that

The author sometimes writer her full name Liadella and sometimes just Lia

Chapter 399: “I Want to Get Married.”

Like Anima and Nadue, Lildas, the Goddess of Fate, was also a person with a distinct personality.

Anima’s love was impartial and selfless.

Nadue was dignified and beautiful.

Lildas was a goddess who valued her sense of mission and responsibility above all else, a being of tolerance, strength, and strict seriousness.

As the strongest of the Divine Race, and also the strongest in the three realms, the Goddess of Fate bore the responsibility of guiding the Divine Race and the human race, making countless contributions to their progress and growth.

If she learned about the problem with the Hero Summoning, she would likely take swift action. For the sake of the world and peace, she would spare no effort to uncover the truth, even if it meant turning the three realms upside down.

Nadue could easily imagine that scene.

It would definitely be chaotic.

A sense of mission and responsibility was a good thing, but an excessive sense of mission and responsibility could easily lead to uncontrolled behavior and going too far.

Especially since the Goddess of Fate was somewhat…

Just thinking about it made Nadue want to smile wryly.

Therefore, Nadue immediately said,

“Let’s not tell Lildas about this for now.” Nadue said seriously. “We should investigate ourselves first, and it’s better to tell her after we have a general direction.”

“I agree.” Anima said with deep understanding. “If we have a general direction, then Lildas shouldn’t be too reckless.”

The two goddesses looked at each other, seemingly seeing the image of the strongest goddess losing control, and sighed.

They discussed the matter and made a decision.

“I’ll investigate the Hero Summoning in the Divine Realm and check the sealed place to see if there’s any problem with the summoning ritual.”

Anima said.

“I’ll go to the human world, observe the Demon Realm’s movements, and meet the Hero, also checking on Lilith’s situation.”

Nadue planned to do this.

Originally, Anima wanted to be in charge of the latter task, but in terms of observation and surveillance, Nadue was undoubtedly more suitable than Anima.

Because Nadue was the Goddess of Nature, the creator of the earth and oceans, every plant and tree on earth was her eyes and ears. She could also merge with nature, achieving maximum surveillance. If she devoted herself to this task, it would be almost impossible to hide anything happening in any corner of the human world from her.

Therefore, it was more appropriate to entrust the task of going to the human world, monitoring the Demon Realm, and contacting the Hero to Nadue.

“Be careful.” Anima warned. “Not only is Goddess Lilith with that Hero, but the Dragon Demon Airi is also always with him.”

“The Dragon Demon?” Nadue seemed surprised by this. “She has her eyes on the Hero?”

“More than just having her eyes on him.” Anima recalled Airi’s attitude and said helplessly, “She seems to be very fond of that Hero. For his sake, she not only came out to restrain me, but also helped with Lilith’s matter.”

“That short-tempered Dragon Demon actually…?” Nadue frowned, unwilling to believe it. “Could it be that the Hero Summoning was actually caused by the Demon Race doing something in secret?”

Compared to the idea of the Dragon Demon helping a Hero because she liked him, Nadue was more inclined to believe that there was some scheme involved.

“I also considered that possibility at first, but later on, I was mostly convinced.” Anima didn’t know how to explain it to Nadue and could only say, “You’ll understand when you see it for yourself. I can only say that the Dragon Demon is truly different from before, and this Hero is also different from past Heroes, very… special? He seems like the type the Dragon Demon would like, so it’s quite convincing.”

“Really?” Nadue nodded thoughtfully again, then smiled. “In that case, I’ll go see for myself.”

“Alright.” Anima didn’t say anything more.

The two goddesses bowed to each other after assigning their tasks.

“A special Hero… huh?”

Looking at Anima’s retreating figure, Nadue no longer hid the curiosity in her eyes.

Needless to say, Anima’s description had piqued her interest.

“Let me see how special this Hero is.”

With a chuckle, Nadue’s figure transformed back into a translucent, watery form, like a water spirit, and with a ripple, merged into the clear lake.

…

Kingdom of Mitra, Royal Capital.

In the bedroom, Lucy and Lia were enjoying afternoon tea together.

Charl, as always, stood behind Lia, dutifully performing her knightly duties, guarding the two princesses’ tea party.

Lia sipped her sweet black tea, looking at Lucy, who was sitting opposite her, her eyes filled with contemplation.

Because Lucy seemed somewhat distracted, constantly looking out the window, lost in thought.

“Lucy.”

Lia called out to her sister.

Unfortunately, Lucy didn’t seem to hear her, still gazing at the scenery outside.

“Lucy?”

Lia called again, but Lucy still didn’t react.

Lia and Charl behind her exchanged glances, both seeing the confusion and helplessness in each other’s eyes.

The next moment, Lia reached out and pinched Lucy’s cheek.

“Roselucia!”

Lia shouted, a little annoyed.

“Ah!”

Lucy finally reacted, crying out in pain as she instinctively swatted away the hand pinching her cheek. She looked at the annoyed Lia and, as if realizing what had happened, seemed embarrassed.

Seeing her perfect sister’s embarrassed look, Lia was a bit irritated.

“I say, Lucy, what are you thinking about?” Lia asked, both curious and reproachful. “You’ve been distracted and acting strangely recently. Are you feeling unwell?”

Lia didn’t even believe her own words.

Because she had never seen Lucy sick or unwell.

“I’m fine.” Lucy shook her head. “I have the Goddess of Fate’s blessing, so I don’t usually get sick.”

This was also proof of Lucy’s unique advantage, something that even Lia couldn’t help but envy at times.

Her sister was almost flawless, making her an object of admiration.

As the older sister, in the past, Lia had often been compared to her seemingly perfect younger sister, and she had once envied and been jealous of her, wondering why she was even born into this world, surpassed by her sister in every aspect, her inner world once filled with darkness.

Being born into the royal family, sometimes, not being outstanding was a sin.

The gossip and watchful eyes of others were always ready to bite the moment any weakness was shown.

Lia had experienced this and believed that after her flawless sister was born, she would completely lose her value, be looked down upon, and fall into an abyss.

Similar things had happened countless times throughout history. Whether royalty or nobility, stories of hostility, hatred, and even fratricide over inheritance were abundant.

If things had developed normally, under the pressure of her sister’s excellence and the surrounding environment, Lia might have either gone down a dangerous path or faded into obscurity.

But Lia was fortunate.

Because her sister’s excellence had already surpassed human limits, reaching a height unattainable by anyone.

Sometimes, the gap between oneself and another person would cause unwillingness, jealousy, and resentment. But if the gap was too large, it would make one give up, accept reality, and move on.

This was the case with Lucy and Lia.

Because her sister was simply too outstanding, outstanding to an unbelievable degree, not only did Lia gradually feel that her unwillingness and envy were foolish, but even the people around them felt that comparing ordinary people to Lucy was inappropriate.

Therefore, unconsciously, Lia gave up on envy and jealousy, and the people around them no longer dared to compare anyone to Lucy, believing that her excellence was on another level, something ordinary people couldn’t compare to.

Thanks to this, no longer being compared, Lia’s own excellence was gradually discovered, valued, and recognized.

This made Lia grateful that her sister was a “monster,” so that she and others wouldn’t even think of comparing themselves to her.

Otherwise, she might have truly fallen into the abyss.

But also because of this, Lia was unconsciously attracted to Lucy’s excellence and perfection.

Yes.

As the older sister, Lia was also her younger sister’s admirer, seeing her as an object of aspiration.

Therefore, Lia had to say,

“You’ve really been acting strange recently.” Lia said to Lucy seriously. “If you have any worries, you can tell me.”

Lia was worried that something bad might have happened to her sister.

Not only her, but even Ancil had noticed that Lucy wasn’t herself recently and expressed his concern.

To the Kingdom, Lucy was simply too important.

The reason Lia often invited Lucy for tea was actually at her own and Ancil’s behest, hoping to discover any problems through subtle probing.

“Don’t worry.” Lia said enthusiastically. “No matter what, I, Father, and the entire nation will be on your side. If you have anything you want to do, just tell us. I believe that once we know what’s troubling you, everyone in the country will do their best to help you.”

This wasn’t just empty talk.

If Lucy made a request, the entire nation would mobilize to fulfill her wish.

“…Really?”

Lucy was silent for a moment, then spoke softly.

“Of course!” Lia’s spirits lifted. “As long as you’re willing to tell us, we will definitely help you!”

Lia was excited, finally able to help her sister and have her talk about her worries.

However…

“I want to get married.”

When Lucy said these words seriously, the teacup in Lia’s hand slipped and fell to the ground.

Chapter 398: “Life” and “Nature”

The Divine Realm.

This was a world completely different from the human world and even the Demon Realm.

Because the Divine Realm had no land or oceans, only islands floating in mid-air, like castles.

Yes, islands.

The Divine Realm was formed by floating islands, creating a wondrous landscape unlike the other two realms.

The floating islands drifted constantly.

Therefore, their positions were always changing.

However, upon closer observation, one would find that the movement of these islands followed a pattern.

They all revolved around a large, stationary island, like celestial bodies orbiting a sun, moving in circular patterns.

The closer to the central island, the fewer the floating islands. The closest ones were only three, orbiting like guards or offspring, rising and falling, a pleasing sight.

At this moment, Anima appeared on one of the three floating islands.

The Goddess of Life, as if walking in the clouds, slowly moved forward, looking around. Although her eyes weren’t open, she seemed to be able to see everything here.

Soon, Anima arrived in a forest.

It was a very beautiful forest.

The forest was full of life, an environment that Anima loved.

Unfortunately, although Anima was the Goddess of Life, she wasn’t the owner of this forest filled with life.

The owner of this forest was another goddess.

Anima entered the depths of the forest in search of this goddess, eventually arriving at a clear lake.

“Oh my, Anima, is that you?”

At this moment, a pleasant voice, like that of a lake spirit, reached Anima’s ears.

Anima looked up at the clear, beautiful lake and said softly,

“Come out, Nadue. I have something to discuss with you.”

As soon as Anima finished speaking, ripples appeared on the surface of the lake, creating waves.

Amidst the waves, the clear lake water seemed to dance, and streams of water rose up.

The streams intertwined, then gathered together, forming a beautiful, ethereal body made of water.

The next moment, the ethereal body gradually solidified, transforming into a goddess.

A goddess with waist-length, icy blue hair like water, her features exquisite, as if she was the embodiment of beauty, her eyes also a crystal-clear icy blue, her ears long and pointed like an elf’s, truly captivating.

When this goddess appeared, the forest, the lake, the atmosphere, even the world itself, seemed to rejoice, emanating joy, either radiating light or swaying gently.

The goddess named Nadue, as if born from nature, or perhaps the embodiment of nature itself, came to Anima, carried by the flowing water.

“Greetings, Anima.”

Nadue greeted Anima with an impeccable smile and a respectful bow.

“Greetings, Nadue.” Anima smiled helplessly. “I’ve told you many times, you don’t have to be so polite to me.”

This was only natural.

After all, this beautiful goddess before her was born at the same time as Anima, also a pinnacle of the Divine Race, a close sister and companion of many years, one of the Three Goddesses – the Goddess of Nature.

Facing her closest sister, Anima naturally didn’t want her to be so polite.

However…

“This isn’t politeness, but basic courtesy.”

Nadue’s smile remained impeccably perfect. She was more like a perfectly educated princess of noble birth than a goddess.

Anima always thought that if Nadue wasn’t a goddess, she would definitely be the perfect embodiment of a “princess.”

She was dignified and courteous, beautiful and generous, her every move exuding a natural grace, elegance, and humility. In both the Divine Realm and the human world, she was the most popular and beloved goddess.

Anima often thought that if all life in the human world possessed Nadue’s qualities, then they would have reached the state of perfect cultivation as a being or a race.

When creating the human race, Anima often used this goddess as a model, and even when the Goddess of Fate guided the lower realm beings, she mostly used this goddess’s behavior as a standard, guiding the progress and growth of life in the lower realm.

Sometimes, Nadue’s dignified courtesy and calm generosity even made Anima feel ashamed of herself, showing how perfect and flawless the Goddess of Nature’s behavior was.

Just like now, Nadue invited Anima,

“Since you’re here, would you like to try some of the honey tea I recently made?”

Saying so, Nadue beckoned with her slender, jade-like hand, and a cup of enticing honey tea, carried by a stream of water, flew from the lake towards Anima.

“Thank you for the hospitality.”

Anima couldn’t refuse, accepting the tea politely and taking a sip.

The two then began to chat, like two noble ladies enjoying afternoon tea, relaxed and comfortable, the atmosphere warm and pleasant.

If this scene were seen by others, they would definitely stop and watch, as if admiring a beautiful scenery, reluctant to leave.

Before Nadue, Anima also couldn’t help but become more refined, her words and expressions more elegant, making Anima feel helpless more than once.

But it couldn’t be helped. Before this Goddess of Nature’s perfect and impeccable behavior, anyone would feel that they couldn’t be too rude or unsightly, or they would appear vulgar.

This caused Anima to be unable to get straight to the point for a while, passively following Nadue’s topic and continuing to chat.

After a long time, when Anima finished the honey tea, Nadue smiled with satisfaction.

“Is there something important you wanted to discuss with me?”

Nadue finally got to the point.

Anima’s relaxed expression tensed up.

“I do have a very important matter to discuss with you.”

Anima’s expression was serious.

“It seems to be quite a serious matter.”

Nadue nodded thoughtfully.

Anima understood Nadue very well, and Nadue understood Anima just as well.

Just as Anima admired and respected Nadue’s dignified, generous, polite, and elegant demeanor, Nadue also held Anima in high regard.

The Three Goddesses at the pinnacle of the Divine Race each had their own renowned personality traits.

If Nadue was the perfect goddess, seen as the standard of proper behavior, dignified and courteous, then Anima was the most goddess-like goddess.

She loved all life in the world from the bottom of her heart, rejoicing in their growth and grieving their passing. Therefore, she never considered herself a superior being, but would approach humans, the human race, and all life, watching over and protecting them equally.

Even towards the Demon Race, Anima showed a certain degree of respect, because she was the goddess who governed life, and respect for life was ingrained in her instincts.

If there was anything Anima truly couldn’t tolerate, it was corruption.

Therefore, Anima had told Shien that if Lilith’s return failed, he shouldn’t hesitate to destroy the [True Mark], preventing the fallen goddess from wreaking havoc and harming the living beings of the world.

When Anima became serious like this, it undoubtedly meant that something serious had happened.

Thinking of this, Nadue heard unexpected words from Anima.

“Do you think a Hero could still appear in this world?”

Anima asked Nadue.

“A Hero?” Nadue was slightly taken aback, then hesitated after a moment of surprise. “Are you referring to the princess of the Kingdom of Mitra blessed by the Goddess of Fate?”

If there was a Hero who might appear in this world, it would undoubtedly be that princess.

She had been recognized by Mitra’s Holy Sword, possessed unprecedented talent, and had a powerful Unique Skill. There was no doubt that she would become a Hero in the future.

She was also widely recognized as the modern Hero, and Nadue was optimistic about her, believing that she was the most promising and charismatic figure in the current human world.

Therefore, when it came to the modern Hero, Nadue immediately thought of her.

However, Anima shook her head.

“Roselucia Mitra is indeed qualified to be called a Hero, but I’m not referring to her.”

Anima hesitated for a moment, then made up her mind and told Nadue,

“Actually, I encountered a Hero in the human world, a Hero summoned from another world.”

Hearing this, Nadue’s eyes widened slightly.

“Impossible.”

Without thinking, Nadue said these words.

“The Hero Summoning has been sealed. How could there be a Hero from another world?”

Nadue didn’t believe it.

“I understand how you feel. I was the same as you at first, completely in disbelief.” Anima smiled wryly. “But it’s true, Nadue. I personally saw him use the Holy Sword and even help Goddess Lilith return. Goddess Lilith even entrusted her [True Mark] to him.”

Hearing this, Nadue frowned slightly and fell silent.

If it weren’t for Anima saying these words, Nadue would definitely not believe it.

Not to mention the Holy Sword, even Lilith’s return and entrusting her [True Mark] sounded like a fantasy, unbelievable.

“…Does Lildas know about this?”

Nadue asked.

“No, I haven’t told her yet.”

Anima shook her head.

“That’s good.”

Nadue nodded slightly.

Chapter 397: The Legendary Suicidal Move?

“Gaaaah…”

“Uwaaaah…”

With low growls, Barry and the Stalim family members all transformed into crazed evil beings with bloodshot eyes and ferocious faces.

However, these evil beings didn’t immediately start fighting amongst themselves. Instead, like insignificant ants before a god, they lowered their heads towards Lilith.

But Lilith ignored these evil beings and instead threw herself into Shien’s arms, worry filling her amethyst eyes.

Shien caught Lilith and chuckled.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Shien patted Lilith’s head, comforting the seemingly frightened little girl.

Although he felt that Lilith’s reaction was a bit excessive, even if she hadn’t intervened, Shien could have handled the situation. Her actions and worry were somewhat unnecessary, but this was a sign of the little girl caring too much about him, and Shien wouldn’t fault her for it.

Airi, on the other hand, simply stood there from beginning to end, not moving a muscle, her expression unchanged.

“What are you playing at?” Airi reprimanded Shien. “You shouldn’t have fallen for such a simple ambush, right?”

Clearly, Airi also felt that with Shien’s abilities, this level of threat was insignificant.

“I just wanted to see what this guy would do when pushed to the edge.” Shien shrugged. “Actually, you didn’t need to come out.”

Having a Demon Lord and an evil god comparable to a Demon Lord intervene against such small fry was a bit overkill.

Originally, Shien wanted to handle it himself, but he didn’t expect that after he was attacked, these two little girls would instantly wake up and come out to defend him without hesitation.

Lilith was understandable. After all, he and the little goddess were bound by fate. If something happened to him, the holder of her [True Mark], she would also be affected. Plus, this girl was particularly clingy to him, so it was natural for her to defend him without hesitation.

But Airi also waking up and appearing for him without hesitation surprised Shien.

Did this girl care about him that much?

Shien wanted to ask.

Unfortunately, Airi didn’t give him the chance.

“Humans are getting bolder and bolder. Knowing that you’re my person, they still dare to attack you so openly. It seems I haven’t appeared for too long, and few people remember me, the Dragon Demon.”

Airi looked at Barry, who had turned into a crazed evil being, her small face full of displeasure.

If some ignorant fool who knew nothing about Shien and Airi had done this, she wouldn’t have bothered. But knowing the implications, and still daring to attack Shien, in Airi’s eyes, this was a deliberate provocation.

Shien rolled his eyes.

“You still haven’t given up on that ‘I’m your person’ setting?”

Shien said with annoyance.

“It’s the truth.” Airi said nonchalantly. “At least, that’s how many people see it now.”

Now that Airi mentioned it, Shien also felt that way.

Whether it was the Kingdom, the Demon Race, or Anima and the others, they all seemed to consider him as Airi’s person, which was why he was under her protection.

So… he had unknowingly been living off a woman?

A dignified Hero, actually living off a Demon Lord?

“Well, why not?”

Shien not only didn’t feel ashamed, but felt quite pleased.

It wasn’t because he wanted to be a kept man, but because the feeling of having someone to rely on was simply too good.

Mainly, it could help him avoid a lot of trouble. This was what Shien valued.

Of course, Shien wasn’t interacting with Airi for this purpose, but since things had naturally developed this way, Shien didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.

As mentioned before, Shien was quite adaptable. This was just child’s play.

Speaking of which…

“I had already decided to return to the royal capital, but this guy actually came looking for trouble. Is this the legendary suicidal move?”

Shien looked at Barry with a meaningful gaze.

Originally, besides subjugating the Old Demon Faction causing trouble here, Shien had another purpose for coming to the Stalim Duchy: to teach the Stalim family a lesson.

However, because of Lilith, Shien hadn’t been in the mood to deal with the Stalim family recently and had even forgotten about it.

As a result, he had forgotten about it, and they actually came to him?

“What a good person.”

Shien said with a gloating tone.

Especially seeing Airi’s displeased expression, Shien felt that he could already see the miserable future of the Stalim family.

As expected…

“This isn’t over.”

Airi had no intention of letting this matter rest.

“What are you going to do?”

Shien asked curiously.

“Pay a visit to the so-called Stalim family’s main base.”

Airi said with an impassive face, then turned to leave.

“So impulsive?” Shien quickly pulled her back. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to wipe out their entire family?”

“What?” Airi looked at Shien suspiciously. “Is there a problem?”

“Is there a problem?” Shien was speechless. “Don’t you think there’s a problem?”

“I don’t think there’s a problem.” Airi looked at Shien. “Or do you think it’s too cruel?”

If it were anyone else, they would probably think Airi was too cruel, right?

It was only the fault of a few people, yet she wanted to kill their entire family. Wasn’t that cruel?

As the Hero, it seemed natural for him to stop Airi from such a cruel act.

But Airi knew that this Hero was different.

“Do I look like a compassionate good person?”

As expected, Shien said these words.

“No.”

Airi replied without hesitation, as if she had expected this.

However, Shien wanted to hit Airi for answering so decisively.

He wasn’t a good person, but she could have been more tactful, not answering so definitively.

“Forget it.” Shien picked up Airi and said nonchalantly, “Just deal with these culprits. Leave the rest of the Stalim family alone.”

“Why?” Airi asked in confusion. “They caused you trouble, and you’re not going to do anything about it?”

“I just don’t think it’s necessary to go out of my way.” Shien said casually. “If they were all here, then I would deal with them.”

Like the Galouollie family back then, hadn’t Shien wiped them all out with a single [Aurora Meteor Shower]?

But Shien wasn’t interested in dealing with the remnants in the royal capital.

It wasn’t because of some principle of “one thing doesn’t cancel out another,” nor was it because of the principle of “not harming the family.” It was simply because he had seen too many chuunibyou sayings like “weeds spring up again if not completely uprooted” and clichéd plotlines where the protagonist massacred their enemies’ entire families in his past life, so he wasn’t interested in such things.

If Limgir was in the Stalim household, Shien would be motivated to pay a visit, but Limgir was missing, Barry was here, and the two people from the Stalim family who had directly offended him had already tasted the consequences. Shien no longer had any desire to cause trouble.

Besides…

“You’re the Dragon Demon. Just send an order back to the Demon Realm, or complain to the Kingdom, and the Stalim family will be finished. There’s no need to go there personally.”

As Shien said this, his attention shifted to the soft and delicate body of the girl in his arms.

Hmm, still so fragrant and soft. As expected of the first legal loli he had met in this world.

Airi, unaware of Shien’s thoughts, seemed to have calmed down.

“Then forget it.”

Airi readily dropped the matter, only glancing at Barry and the others before suddenly exhaling.

That breath, very, very faint, transformed into a scorching dragon’s breath and blasted towards Barry and his men.

“Bang!”

Without any suspense, Barry and the others were instantly vaporized by the scorching dragon’s breath, leaving nothing behind.

The temperature in the room suddenly rose, making everyone sweat.

“Holy shit!”

Shien was startled by this sudden attack and cursed.

“What… what happened!?”

“…”

Leisha and Lasha returned at just the right moment, as if they had calculated the timing, but they were startled by the high temperature and rampaging magic power in the room.

Lilith, on the other hand, remained calm, as if saying “This is how it should be.”

It was conceivable that even if Airi hadn’t acted, this little evil god wouldn’t have spared these eyesores.

Airi’s expression finally softened as she broke free from Shien’s embrace.

“Really…”

Looking at the corner of the hall, scorched black by the small dragon’s breath, Shien smiled wryly.

He was the one being targeted, but why did these two little girls seem to have a deep hatred for them?

Shien complained inwardly.

Actually, Shien was quite touched.

Because, with Airi and Lilith’s personalities, they weren’t the type to bother with people they weren’t interested in.

In other words, both Airi and Lilith did this to vent their anger for him.

Shien then put Barry and his group out of his mind and turned to the girls.

“Since everyone is here, let’s set off and return to the royal capital.”

Hearing this, the girls had no objections and nodded one after another.

Shien then whistled loudly, the sound amplified by magic power, echoing through the sky.

“Roar!”

A giant black dragon descended from the sky.

Soon, amidst the panic and commotion of the entire town, the dragon flew away, flapping its wings and heading towards the royal capital.