Chapter: 5. True Strength?
Don’t worry about the money.
When we arrive at the kingdom, I definitely won’t let you go hungry!
A fleeting look of indulgence flashed in Xiya’s eyes.
What she wanted to ask was far more important than this.
After feeling a sense of helplessness at Princess Xue Fei’s nonsensical remarks…
Xiya’s expression still maintained a seriousness of seven parts.
The remaining three parts of her emotions were her undeniable worries.
“I have to ask you, Xue Fei… what is your true strength right now?”
“My strength?”
Xue Fei was taken aback by the sudden question.
Then she bent her arm, rolled up the silk sleeves of her black Gothic dress, and showed off her little arms that lacked any muscle!
“I’m pretty good! To be honest, I can really fight!”
“……”
“I mean, Xiya… are you looking down on me?”
“No… I just think, Xue Fei’s skin is really nice, very white, like snow.”
“Wow! Is that your focus here! Let me see yours!”
“No… ahem, Xue Fei, let’s be serious, don’t change the topic!”
“Was it me who changed the topic?!”
“Ah… sorry.”
Xue Fei could only say that a silly and cute person would always be silly and cute.
With such a Hero… who knows how long the Human Race’s kingdom can withstand.
Good luck, Aulus Kingdom.
Xue Fei leaned her elbow against the wooden armrest beside the carriage, opening her right hand to try to provide examples for Xiya to understand.
“I feel like your question is a bit abstract, and I don’t know how to answer it appropriately, but the answer should be quite intuitive. Over the years, the Human Race has probably said a lot of bad things about me? I’ve heard they call me the ‘Disaster Princess’.”
“Ah… that title doesn’t sound good, does it? When we return to the capital, I’ll find a way to make them stop calling you that.”
“Don’t!”
“Huh?”
“That title is so cool! Why change it? You don’t know, in the Demon Territory, if I hide and happily shout, ‘The Disaster Princess is here!’ even the kids outside the Demon King’s Castle will be scared away! It commands respect! So don’t you interfere with this! If you do, I’ll get angry with you!”
“……”
Xiya was taken aback by Xue Fei’s rapid-fire remarks.
Xue Fei, you’re really optimistic…?
Or should I say, the customs of the Demon Race… are a bit simple?
Xiya Let’s personality might seem a bit foolish, but when it comes to considerations, she is undoubtedly clever enough.
Just like when Xue Fei used the term ‘Disaster Princess’ as an example.
It was telling herself that she indeed possesses extraordinary strength as rumored.
However… such ambiguous statements did not convince Xiya.
Of course, just by looking at the sky filled with Flame Magic and hearing about Xue Fei’s battlefield performance in recent years, it was clear that she was not only not weak but incredibly strong, very strong.
It’s highly likely that she is stronger than myself, who has been called the strongest Hero of the Human Race.
But even so—this was still not something Xiya had seen with her own eyes.
Including the fire curtain that burned the sky, Xiya could not determine if it was merely a miracle crafted solely from Xue Fei’s magic.
Because it was too exaggerated and splendid, it only made Xiya Let more worried, wondering if there was anything hidden behind it.
In the history of this world, there have been instances where certain races fictiously exaggerated their so-called top combat power to intimidate other nations, to confuse and deter them from invading.
For example, the Elf Race has long boasted that their World Tree barrier is unbeatable and that anyone who approaches it will die.
—But a few years ago, a young dragon that could not completely master flight accidentally made a huge hole in it.
That young dragon was severely injured under the siege of the Elven World Tree guards.
But in the end, it somehow managed to escape!
The elf race lost face, and the lie crafted by the entire clan was exposed by an accident, which possibly contributed to their current dire situation.
So, if possible, Xiya hoped to hear directly from Xue Fei and confirm her true strength.
And not accept things through unreliable hearsay.
Unconsciously, Xiya’s slightly trembling palm had already covered the top of Xue Fei’s left hand.
Everything she thought and said was sincere.
What she worried about and was hurt by was all for one person.
“Xue Fei, from now on… we will live together in the Human Race’s capital. As a member of the Demon Race, you may face enemies from all directions…”
“I will always be by your side whenever I can look after you. I will try my best to hide your existence; if you want to act, I will act with you, as long as you can live the life you want.”
“But you must understand… there will be times I have to temporarily leave.”
In Xiya Let’s azure eyes, a flicker of undeniable determination and protection flashed.
“So I hope you can tell me this clearly, you can truly protect yourself, right? If I had never known you existed in this world… but now that I do, I cannot accept any possibility of losing you again, Xue Fei… can you understand your sister’s feelings?”
“……”
Xue Fei stared blankly at that determined yet wavering gaze, filled with the fear of ‘losing’.
Really…
Didn’t you just say that because of my age, I’m the older sister? Why are you acting like an older sister now?
Since you are a Hero, and since you are an older sister… then don’t show such cowardly appearances…
This is really unreasonable.
This time, Xue Fei no longer acted frivolously.
She positioned her previously crossed legs properly, placed both hands neatly on her thighs, and turned to face Xiya with proper posture.
Every move exhibited a royal demeanor.
At this moment, she finally exuded some authority befitting a “Demon Princess.”
“Xiya, you know that the strength of the Demon Race is linked to the number of wings, right?”
“Eh…? Yes, I know that.”
“Then you should have seen my number of wings on the battlefield just now.”
“Yes… just as rumored, I saw… six wings.”
The pitch-black wings, imbued with ominous dark light, were filled with the magical essence required for the Demon Race to cast spells, deciding the quality of their magic.
It’s largely because of their innate wings that the Demon Race stands at the pinnacle of magical achievement in this world.
“I remember when the Demon Race goes to war, it is said, ‘Three-winged black feathers, the army collapses. Four wings in the air, towns cannot survive.'”
“Yes, it’s pretty much the same on the Human side; anyone encountering a four-winged Demon must immediately report to the King, and powerful warriors must be dispatched from the capital to confront them; no one can act recklessly.”
“Indeed, speaking of four-winged Demons… they must be like the Demon Nobles in the Demon Territory, they definitely have sufficient strength.”
Let’s put it this way.
Among the Demon Race, having only one wing or two wings on either side is the most common.
While Human warriors may find them somewhat challenging to face, with the aid of Magic Crystal Cannons and various enchanted weapons, along with the assistance of Spell Casters, they certainly have the capability to fight back.
But as for three or four wings…
As Xiya mentioned, it requires an entire army, or even an entire city, to back against them.
Five-winged Demons.
These are limited to the commanders of the Demon King’s army surrounding the Demon King’s throne, and their numbers can be counted on two hands.
If they were to fight personally, aside from the Hero themselves and the experts from the “Sword of the Nation” Light Family, the Human Race would probably have to call upon those old-timers from the elder council who have profound magical accomplishments to deal with them.
Moving further up…
That is the existence that stands at one of the peaks of this world—six-winged Demons.
They are no longer describable by mere “extraordinary talent.”
They are synonymous with disaster, existences beyond the norm, and one of the absolute powers among all races in this world.
Due to the intervention of other top races’ forces in the world, in order to maintain the balance of power among the races and to prevent excessive warfare that would threaten other races… the Demon Race is not allowed to have all its six-winged Demons participate in the war against the Human Race.
At most, only one six-winged Demon can be dispatched.
To avoid being attacked from both sides, the Demon Race naturally agreed to this demand, which is not considered excessive.
After all, six-winged Demons value strength and disdain bullying the weak.
Thanks to this, the Human Race’s Aulus Kingdom did not quickly exhaust all its national treasures and resources in a short time.
As far as Xiya Let knows, currently, the only six-wings that exist in the world are the Demon King, the Demon Queen, and two high-ranking duke commanders in the Demon Royal Guards.
No…
If the situation I saw on the battlefield is real.
—Then there should also be Xue Fei, who is sitting right in front of me.
Xue Fei is the only six-winged Demon whom the Demon King has decided to send out under the name of “training,” leading this battle.
Xue Fei is the first daughter of the Demon King, and the Demon King has a total of two daughters; he is very assured to send his first daughter to command the battlefield.
This is also the reason why Xue Fei was so excited when she was “captured” by Xiya, as the Human side could get so thrilled about such a circumstance.
The enemy general has been captured alive! This is a significant event that can go down in history!
They personally participated in that kind of battle, so it is certainly an unparalleled honor!
However, Xiya completely didn’t care about these trivial matters.
At this point, she urgently needed to confirm this.
“So, Xue Fei… your six wings are for real, right? Please don’t blame me for constantly asking, but historical records have never documented a six-winged Demon as young as you… this is exceedingly hard to believe.”
Xue Fei’s violet eyes, as if swirling with magic, glanced left and right, eventually fixing on Xiya’s eyes.
Then, she shyly turned her gaze away, feeling a bit embarrassed to continue staring.
Really…
How long has it been since anyone cared for her like this?
Sister, you’re still like in the last life, wanting to dig deep into everything, you’re really too worried.
But… it feels nice.
Xue Fei squinted and smiled, playfully snapping her fingers.
“Do you really want to see the truth?”
“Yes, I said that from the start.”
“Okay, okay, since I plan to follow you, Xiya, what’s there to hide? You guessed it right, I have indeed concealed some things about this.”
“?!”
Could it be that I guessed right…?
“If Xue Fei, you don’t have the ability to protect yourself… then we won’t go to the capital! It’s unsafe! We can go… go somewhere… ah… where…”
“Hey, that’s not what I mean! Ah, I also don’t know how to say it specifically! Let’s do this, I’ll show you, and then you’ll know!”
Xue Fei is indeed a person of action.
When she says to demonstrate, she means immediately, now!
Before Xiya could even prepare herself, a pitch-black light suddenly shone in front of Xiya Let!
Due to the carriage’s barrier blocking it, the dazzling black light was barely contained within the carriage.
Xiya squinted her eyes… and after several seconds, she struggled to open her eyes again.
At the same time…
A flurry of light and delicate black feathers slowly descended in front of her.
And when Xiya Let’s gaze steadied and she clearly saw Xue Fei sitting across from her, now clearly displaying the black wings symbolic of the Demon Race, still swaying her head…
Xiya Let’s eyes widened.
Unconsciously, she slightly parted her lips, utterly shocked.
She felt that either her eyes or this world… something must have gone wrong!
Otherwise, how could such a situation appear before her?!
“E-eight wings…?”
