novel-bin Page 188
Page 188
A familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from her distant memories before she woke up. The girl lowered her head and inexplicably felt that this was the name of the baby in her arms.
As the girl awakens, the inherited knowledge of the Shadow Demon clan gradually becomes clearer, more stable, and more systematically integrated into her cognition.
Thus, the girl learned her name:
"The Demon King's Castle's First Demon Official, the Rose Shadow Demon, Kletina—"
Coming to her senses, the girl, somewhat curious and knowing it was a bit offensive, stretched out her fair finger towards the infant in the swaddling clothes. The newborn was only about the size of a human child of eight or nine years old.
But the Demon King before him was much, much younger than himself.
The next moment, Kleinna's eyes widened in surprise.
Even though the baby was still fast asleep, it seemed as if by instinct that the infant in the swaddling clothes used its tiny hand to grasp the outstretched finger that it wanted to tease.
A faint warmth emanated from my fingertips.
That warmth was more touching than all the sunshine she had ever basked in combined.
That initial warmth gave the girl the responsibility to protect this deserted Demon King's castle, the eight great demons whose seats would one day be full, all the demons in the entire demon territory, and—her Demon King.
Millennia.
Chapter 270 The Black-Haired Demon King, the Goddess Under the Moon
"Hiss—"
The soft, gentle snoring pulled Kleitina back from her distant memories. Kleitina knelt beside the throne and gently took Mia's small hand in hers:
"My Lord Demon King, please forgive my overstepping."
A warm feeling came from those tiny palms.
With her eyes closed, Kletina activated her "authority," and a strange light, like a white night, enveloped the entire hall.
Within Mia's peacefully sleeping body, an almost terrifyingly dense magical power surged forth and accumulated within Kletina's body... On Mia's head, the two tiny magical horns gradually faded away, and her pure white hair turned into smooth black hair as dark as night. If Mia were awake at this moment, her golden eyes would also turn into deep, dark black.
At this moment, Mia no longer had any demonic characteristics; instead, she resembled an ordinary human child.
However, Kleidina knew that black-haired, black-eyed humans did not exist in the physical characteristics of any human in this world... She could only explain it as a side effect of the Demon Lord losing his magic.
Air currents are stirred up in the field.
As magic surged in, Kletina instantly opened her eyes, which had turned a blinding white. The roses on her body and even every strand of her hair were dyed a pure, translucent white, like snow, shimmering with dazzling fluorescence!
Time seemed as long as a century, yet it vanished before the candle on the candlestick burned out.
Kleidina let out a slightly painful groan, her forehead covered in sweat, and the magic within her body surged uncontrollably before finally calming down after a long while.
"Svir, check on the Demon King's condition."
Klaitina whispered a command to the void.
"Yes."
The Book Demon, which had been waiting, took shape from the void, wielding the power of knowledge and probing the changing aura on the throne.
After a while, Swell withdrew his power:
“The channeling of magic is effective. Lady Kletina, Lady Mia’s ‘time’ has increased again, but… the increase is still slow,” Svir said intentionally.
“I know,” Kleitina said expressionlessly.
"This is something we've already confirmed."
Even after a thousand years, the Demon King is still too young to control the power of the authority within her.
Only through the channeling of magic could Kleidina gather a trace of the power of the Time Authority. The Time Magic Array that once trapped Mino was made using Lady Mia's authority... This trump card, accumulated over thousands of years, has helped the Demon King's Castle overcome countless crises.
"Lady Kletina, can Lady Mia's growth rate really not be any faster?" After hesitating for a long time while looking at Mia, Svir finally spoke up.
In just a thousand years, the human camp has produced a terrifying hero like Mino, who is capable of fighting against a group of great demons... The speed of human growth has always been the thing that Swell is most worried about.
"Don't worry about the distant future that you can't see, Swell."
Kleidina's face, though youthful, revealed a much calmer temperament than Swell.
"We just need to do what's in front of us well, and the Demon King will protect us."
"By draining the magic power from Lady Mia's body, her body can break free from the constraints of time. Although the growth will be somewhat slow, this is the only method we have been able to develop."
"You know, Lady Mia is the most powerful and the most special Demon Lord... a combination of the previous hero and the Demon Lord..." Thinking of this, a trace of confusion flashed in Kletina's eyes.
Swell remained silent.
It harbored a bold guess in its heart, but it had no way to verify it or speak it out, as it would surely offend Lady Kletina before it, and even disturb the hearts of all the great demons and the demons of the entire realm.
But this conjecture, like Lady Mia's, subtly yet undeniably grew over those thousand years, becoming the greatest taboo buried within the knowledge of the Book Demon—
Is Lady Mia's body truly only filled with the Demon King's power?
"No matter what, as long as the hero's blessing ritual is disrupted, even if it's the hero Mino's sister, she won't be much of a threat." Kletina patted Mia's little head on the throne, her eyes revealing the cold light of a shadow demon who controls people's hearts.
Throughout the tragic history of humankind, those who wielded the power of light have also been plunged into internal strife, conflict, war, and man-made disasters.
The only thing that can threaten the Demon King's life is a hero.
How could a human being who embodies light and faith, and symbolizes the purest and strongest justice, possibly be worthy of being matched with a demon king formed from the purest and most abundant power of desire?
If the possibility of a hero is completely eliminated, then humanity will no longer pose any danger to the Demon Lord.
No, perhaps... there is another kind of being that could threaten the Demon King.
That mysterious being that grants power to heroes, never appearing in the world, yet seemingly existing since the very beginning of the world…
Looking up, Kletina thought of something and murmured it aloud:
"The hero and the goddess—"
……
The capital of Cour, a garden, late at night.
"Your Highness, aren't you going to bed? It's already very late."
Kalia, who was sitting at the round table, snapped out of her daze, looked up at the head maid Lucy, and gave her an apologetic smile:
"Lucy, I was just wondering if what I said to Lena before was a bit too much."
Looking up at the glittering stars and moon, Kalia's expression was slightly sorrowful: "Sister Lena chose to continue Mino's will precisely because she valued her relationship with him so much. Wasn't it a sacrifice she made to protect the kingdom?"
"But I denied her choice so vehemently... What did I, as a princess, do?"
"I simply cannot comprehend the incredibly difficult choice Lena made back then, and now, she can't even recall the sadness she once felt..."
“Your Highness,” Lucy sighed, “this is the Saintess’s own choice, and we have no way to interfere.”
“I know.” Kalia nodded slightly.
"In fact, we should thank Brother Mino. Without his existence... there would never have been so many powerful warriors in the kingdom. Presumably, the kingdom would be in a completely different state now, facing the persecution of the demons."
Thinking of this, Kalia's eyes welled up with deep longing and sadness:
"All of this came at the cost of Mino's pain..."
Beside her, head maid Lucy tenderly draped a thick shawl over Kalia and helped her up from her seat: "Alright, Your Highness, you should rest early... The day of the goddess's blessing is also the moment when the goddess shines. At that time, you, the embodiment of the goddess's will, will be the focus of the people's attention. You mustn't cry yourself sick."
"Okay, Lucy, let's go back."
With Lucy's help, Kalia left the garden.
Bright moonlight and starlight reflected in her clear eyes. Looking up at the sky, a hint of longing gradually welled up in Kalia's eyes:
"If only I had the power to help Lena and the others," Kalia thought to herself.
"Even if it costs me everything..."
Lowering her head, Kalia prayed devoutly for the upcoming blessing ceremony.
overhead.
Silk-like moonlight gradually filled the entire night sky—
Chapter 271 The Mage's Round Tower! Blessing Descends!
The Magician's Round Tower stands in the very center of the eastern district of the royal capital.
The pitch-black round tower seemed to embody an ancient magical heritage, like a dark cedar tree rooted in a corner of the capital, causing all darkness to grovel beneath it.
If the Holy Church, located in the western working-class district, is the spiritual anchor for all citizens of the capital, then the towering round tower before us is far from peaceful—
The holy archmage atop the round tower transformed it into a beacon protecting the kingdom in the darkness, awe-inspiring everything around it!
A sacred place in the eyes of countless magic apprentices, the great residence of the holy archmage, a dangerous zone condensed with taboos and magic... Today, an unruly figure visited the gates of this round tower, which is rarely visited by outsiders.
A petite figure draped in a cloak had a long, black sword vaguely visible at her waist, and her bandaged arm emerged from the shadows. She lifted the cloak, letting her fiery red hair dance in the wind.
"Hmph, I can sense a strong aura of darkness within it..."
Covering one eye with an eyepatch, the girl's other crimson eye rippled with emotion. Her voice was deep and arrogant as she declared, "Today, I will ascend these dark auras, shaking the world's understanding, breaking the records atop the tower, and becoming a true legend!!!"
“My lord…” A somewhat exasperated voice surfaced in his mind, accompanied by the vibration of the hilt of the sword at his waist: “If you say something like that out loud, you’ll easily get a beating in a sack… This is the round tower of Chief Holy Archmage Lak.”
"It's alright." Shana tilted her head back, her expression one of pride.
"Don't forget, my elder brother is the one who has formed a deep bond with the chief of the Round Tower! As the sister of Mino, the hero of light, Chief Lak had high hopes for me during the hero's awakening ceremony."
"The Rek family and Chief Lak have a long-standing friendship! A bond stronger than blood ties! Today, my dark ally will surely bring me an extraordinary surprise!"
Shana said with a mix of confidence and anticipation, "Today, I will definitely stand beneath the Round Tower and, like my brother, break all the records of the heroes and receive the thirty-seventh layer of blessing!"
"Thirty-seven layers of protection?!" Darkfrey exclaimed in astonishment. "You're being a bit too ambitious, my lord. We heroes can't be so greedy. This time, obtaining the protection that solves your premature ejaculation problem is enough."
"In that case, you would be able to demonstrate considerable strength among all the heroes of the past."
"No, that's not enough!" Unexpectedly, Shana, who usually only talked big, had an unyielding belief shining in her eyes today, and her expression was more determined than ever before.
She kept the remaining words buried deep in her heart:
If she wants to go to the Demon King's castle to rescue her brother, her current power... is not enough.
The belief was like a connection to the round tower. Ancient inscriptions trembled on the stone door, and the dusty door opened straight, revealing a path leading directly into the dark interior of the round tower. In the barely perceptible shadows, the hem of a magician's robe fluttered gently.
"Heroine Shana, it's time to complete the blessing."