Chapter: 6. Visit
The most bizarre thing isn’t the exaggerated appearance of the Demon King’s Castle.
It’s when Xiya looks back at the street they just passed — still under bright sunshine.
But if you turn your head again, the Demon King’s Castle is still engulfed in lightning and thunder!
If you look up, you can see a clear boundary in the sky, as if dividing the world into two parts: day and night.
Xue Fei Ya suddenly leaned close to Xiya’s ear and whispered something only they could understand.
“Xiya, look, this is the dawn and dusk line~”
“What a cold joke… it’s freezing me to death.”
Not only Xiya, but also the Little Holy Sword that jumped out from the Holy Sword, as well as Timani and Livra, all leaned out of the carriage window, marveling at this breathtaking spectacle.
As they approached the Demon King’s Castle, Xue Fei sat back in her chair with a happy little wiggle of her feet, introducing the situation of the Demon King’s Castle.
“Pretty bizarre, huh? Yeah, it’s bizarre; the Demon King’s Castle wasn’t always like this. This started after my old man became the Demon King. He always says the environment of the Demon King’s Castle is too harmonious, lacking that sense of oppression. The year I was born, he cast a perpetual magic spell towards the sky, saying he wanted his daughter to grow up in an environment befitting the Demon Race… as if he wasn’t worried it would make my heart dark… Heh… Enough of that; talking about this just raises my anger.”
“Perpetual magic?!” Timani couldn’t help but exclaim upon hearing the term, finally putting her legs down.
You have to know that the difficulty of perpetual magic rivals that of domain magic, known to be the two major peaks among magical categories.
Perpetual magic, as the name implies, is released after compressing a vast amount of magical power, allowing a single spell to be repeated. Although the magic will eventually drain, “perpetual” does not mean truly eternal; it can last for several years.
The ability to release a spell that lasts for years… indicates that the caster’s magical reservoir is unfathomable.
In Timani’s mind, this is something only the elders of the Fire Dragon Clan could accomplish.
“So I said, high-level races may not be the strongest in the world.” Xue Fei said, closing one eye and waving her hand, “Fire Lizard, I’m not afraid you won’t want to hear this, but you have to face the facts. Perpetual magic isn’t a big deal for my father and mother.”
“Really… ah, I see.”
“Oh? You’re being so candid this time?”
Now that truly is a rare occurrence.
In the past, when Timani heard others speak ill of their high-level race, she would always spout words like “honor” and “strength” and immediately explode, even resorting to fights.
This time, she simply admitted that her race wasn’t unique in the world?
Timani showed a look of helplessness, but within that helplessness was a hint of expectation.
“If you really have that capability… then great. You said you’d help me investigate the truth behind my parents’ deaths and that you wanted to go to the Fire Dragon Territory. If you get killed as soon as you arrive, wouldn’t I never know the truth about my parents…?”
“Don’t worry, I’m quite capable of fighting.”
“Oh, let’s hope so.”
“Look at your dismissive attitude!”
“But no matter how powerful your father and mother are, they’re not as strong as you… ? I know you’re also a Six-Wing, and have some abilities, but there’s a difference between Six-Wings, isn’t there? Aren’t your abilities mostly about eating and fishing? I see your skinny arms and legs; how about we spar a bit? I doubt you can beat me, and you might die for nothing when you get to the Fire Dragon Territory… Wait! I’m not worried about your life or death!”
“Who asked you! Fine! Let’s fight; how about we wager three donuts?!”
“What…?! Playing that big?!”
— Regarding the Demon Princess and High-Level Fire Dragon Clan
The bizarre event of wagering donuts between the Demon Princess and the High-Level Fire Dragon Clan.
Everyone fell silent.
No one told Timani just how powerful Xue Fei really was.
Sigh, given how she is, she wouldn’t believe it anyway.
Let her try it out herself.
Isn’t there a saying? Until she hits the south wall, she won’t turn back.
While Xue Fei and Timani were still raising the stakes, Belis squinted at the view outside the window and spoke a few more words.
She couldn’t be bothered to explain all this to the hero and the others.
It sounded more like she was talking to herself.
“Queen Sister hates the dark and has dismantled father’s perpetual magic at least ten times, but he still doesn’t learn his lesson… taking advantage of Queen Sister’s absence, he released it again? Sigh… he’s probably going to get scolded again.”
“……”
The Demon King, though powerful, seems to have a somewhat delicate family status?
……………………………….
The carriage stopped in front of the pitch-black, magic stone-constructed gate of the Demon King’s Castle.
On the way here, it was overcast.
Now, however, the sky was clear for miles.
Xue Fei Ya had disembarked from the carriage early, unfurling her black wings disguised as six wings, flying up into the sky, and like in her childhood, unleashed a nearly world-sweeping Fireball spell, clearing the darkness sustained by the perpetual magic.
Timani got off the carriage a bit later.
She thought that the perpetual magic had encountered some mishap again and was warming up, eager to compete with Xue Fei to win some donuts.
But…
After the perpetual magic was disrupted, a powerful wave of magic surged from the Demon King’s Castle, transforming daylight back into night.
— Belis immediately slapped her forehead, shaking her head in frustration.
Sigh… stubborn old man!
He always does this. When he sees his magic being dispersed, he can’t accept it, so he has to reinforce it!
And this time, an agitated Xue Fei didn’t continue to disperse the magic.
Instead, she “smiled” as she descended, telling everyone she would go ahead first, and transformed into a purple streak of light, rushing into the Demon King’s Castle.
Not long after she left.
The night finally transformed into day — and there were no signs of it changing back.
Livra felt the warmth of the sunlight and innocently asked about Xue Fei’s whereabouts.
“Hmm? Why did Miss Shaya leave first? Does she have something urgent?”
“No… the Queen Sister probably went to confront Father King. Sigh, it’s really a hassle bringing you all along… hurry up, don’t keep the Queen Sister waiting.”
“Eh, okay… okay! When you say confront, does that mean…?”
“That’s someone else’s family matter; don’t pry into it.”
“I’m sorry…”
Belis led the way in front, while the fully armed guards with four wings knelt on the ground, one hand behind their back and the other hand clenching a fist over their heart, swearing endless loyalty to Her Highness the Princess.
Until they reached the entrance of the Demon King’s Great Hall.
They encountered some resistance.
“Your Highness the Second Princess, we welcome your return.”
“Step aside, I have matters to discuss with Father King and Mother Queen.”
“Yes, please wait a moment. May I ask who these people are…?”
In the Demon Race, very few dare to stop a princess and ask questions.
And the person in front of her was one of them.
Wearing monocle chain glasses, dressed in a sharply tailored gentleman’s suit, with a tall and serious demeanor, white gloves, five wings behind him, and black hair with a side fringe half-covering his nearly middle-aged but still handsome face radiating scholarly air, yet not lacking the demeanor of a warrior.
This was Salno Yalin, the chief of the Demon Race’s military staff, and the captain of the Demon King’s Imperial Guard, one of the brains behind the Demon King’s army.
The Yalin family is a very traditional duke family of the Demon Race; their power is not huge, but their loyalty is well-documented through generations, and they are highly valued by the royal family.
Salno slightly bowed his head to Belis.
His obstruction was not out of mischief; he was merely fulfilling his duty.
Since he was fulfilling his duty, Belis said in accordance with the protocol.
“These are all guests I invited, and as you said, this lady is a distant relative of my Queen Sister. This lady is the Third Princess from Aulus Kingdom, come to meet Father King and Mother Queen regarding matters of cooperation. This friend is from the Fire Dragon Clan, a friend of my Queen Sister, just passing through the Demon Territory for a visit. Salno, is there any problem?”
Xial had transformed back into a Holy Sword and completed her disguise, saving Belis from having to introduce another person.
Salno nodded in agreement, but he did not clear the way.
“Yes, Your Highness. I have heard about the arrival of Her Highness the Third Princess from Aulus Kingdom to visit His Majesty the Demon King; welcome, Your Highness. However…”
Salno furrowed his brow.
In his sharp gaze, there was suddenly more caution.
“However, you mentioned the royal family’s collateral… I should have met most collateral members of the Demon Royal Family, and I don’t recall you being a cousin of Princess Xue Feiya. May I be so bold as to ask, which collateral family do you hail from…? Moreover, high-level races and my Demon Race have traditionally had no contact; you say she is a friend of Princess Xue Feiya, may I inquire into the…?”
“Salno Yalin.”
“At your service.”
Salno’s inquiry was cut off abruptly by Belis’s cold, full-name call.
Belis’s gaze no longer held the patience she had moments ago.
She didn’t even cast a glance at Salno.
Instead, her eyes were fixed on the doors of the Demon King’s Great Hall, as if she would push the door open in the next second.
“I believe I already mentioned that they are all guests I invited; how is it that you wish to interrogate those whom my Queen Sister has invited?”
“Your Highness, you are too harsh; I would not dare.”
“Remember, I am not the Queen Sister; I don’t have that much patience.”
“Yes… I will remember.”
Even with lingering doubts in his heart, Salno had no choice but to clear the way.
“Your Highness, do you require me to inform His Majesty the Demon King?”
“No need.”
With that.
Belis pushed open the heavy doors of the Demon King’s Great Hall with one hand, depicting an exceptionally proud stance.
Livra, who followed behind, couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.
Ugh…
She was indeed quite emotional.
As fellow princesses, why is there such a vast difference?
Princess Belis is truly terrifying!
