“What’s wrong?” Diere asked, frowning and dispelling her ability, seeing the troubled look on Shien’s face.

“N-Nothing,” Shien said, forcing a smile and suppressing his feelings.

Diere naturally didn’t know how much pressure her breakthrough had put on him. She wasn’t one to overthink things, being rather straightforward and even headstrong. Seeing that Shien didn’t explain, she didn’t press the matter, stating her own thoughts directly.

“I want to challenge that man.”

These words made Shien’s eyes narrow. He knew who she was talking about.

“Aldia Elvenbein?” he murmured.

“Yes,” Diere nodded, seemingly unaware of how shocking her words were. If anyone else were here, they would be stunned.

“Do you know how strong your opponent is?” Shien asked, reminding her, “He’s a top-tier Legendary expert at level ninety-eight, currently the strongest human. Are you sure you want to challenge him so soon?”

He wasn’t surprised that Diere wanted to challenge Aldia. Considering their past and their complicated relationship, this challenge was inevitable. Diere had said more than once that she wanted to become stronger, stronger than him. Perhaps only then could she escape the shadow of her childhood and truly become independent.

Shien never doubted that one day, Diere would be capable of challenging Aldia. After all, she was blessed by the Goddess of Fate. Although not as special as Lucy, she was undoubtedly a genius among humans, her talent and potential even surpassing Aldia’s. Moreover, she was so independent and self-reliant. Given time, she would definitely surpass him. At that time, challenging him wouldn’t be too late.

But even Shien hadn’t expected this day to come so soon, so soon that it felt unreal, making him worry.

He couldn’t help but advise her,

“You’re still young, your strength is rapidly increasing, your horn hasn’t even fully grown, and you still have great potential for growth. Why are you in such a hurry?”

He wanted her to wait a little longer. Currently, Diere was only a level seventy-eight Higher Expert, still far from level ninety Legendary Level, let alone level ninety-eight, which was close to Limit Level.

Although levels didn’t represent everything, and a powerful Unique Skill could be more important than levels and skills, and the growth rate upon leveling up also varied, Diere wasn’t without a chance of defeating Aldia, but in Shien’s eyes, that chance wasn’t very high right now.

“Even with your [Demonification] ability, I think you should at least reach Legendary Level first.”

This was his advice. Once she reached level ninety, with [Demonification], defeating Aldia wouldn’t be too difficult.

Unfortunately…

“I want to try,” Diere said, not refuting him, but also not backing down, staring at him intently. Shien saw an unshakeable determination in her eyes, not recklessness, but a challenge to her own goals and limits.

“Even if I lose, I believe this battle will help me grow stronger.”

Her resolve was firm.

But Shien still had to say…

“Your chances of winning are very low,” he said, meeting her gaze and speaking frankly, “Even though [Demonification] is powerful, it needs time to develop. I don’t think Aldia will let you grow stronger unchecked.”

This was the weakness of [Demonification]. Although she could activate it at will without losing control, it still needed time to absorb magic power and convert it into strength, making her gradually stronger. Although theoretically, it was an ability that could ignore limits and continuously increase her power, in reality, this growth took time.

Shien had taken advantage of this weakness before, suppressing her before her [Demonification] could fully develop. And Aldia, as her father, having monitored her [Demonification] since childhood, keeping her close to prevent her from losing control, was definitely aware of this weakness and wouldn’t let her power grow unchecked during a battle. As long as he wasn’t slow to react, he could attack the moment she activated [Demonification], defeating her before her “demon” power became too strong.

Diere’s chances of winning were truly low.

She naturally understood this.

But…

“I want to try,” she repeated, as if this single phrase encompassed all her thoughts and considerations.

“…” Shien was speechless.

Diere continued to stare at him.

After a long while, Shien sighed.

“Alright,” he said, giving in, “I’ll find an opportunity and arrange it for you.”

Diere nodded firmly.

In the next moment, she threw herself into his arms.

“You’re playing with me,” she murmured, her words simple and blunt.

Shien’s blood stirred, and he embraced her without hesitation.

Soon, suggestive sounds echoed through the bath.

…

At the same time, on the outskirts of the Royal Capital, Leisha appeared, cursing.

“Damn that bastard, I tried to warn him out of kindness, and that’s how he treats me? I curse him to have no paper in the toilet, no shoes on the street, to step on monster dung, and to be stood up at his wedding!”

The demon girl cursed Shien viciously, clearly enraged.

Until…

“Are you cursing our unreliable Hero?” a playful voice asked, making Leisha freeze mid-air.

The sudden voice was incredibly pleasant, like a celestial melody, making her heart itch and flutter. This otherworldly voice calmed her anger, but also made her feel apprehensive.

“Thud!” A figure descended from the sky like a fairy, landing lightly before Leisha and looking at her with interest.

Leisha instantly recognized her and was equally stunned by her beauty.

The newcomer was a true beauty, possessing an angelic face and a devilish figure, her charm unparalleled, the very embodiment of beauty.

Such a breathtaking beauty, as far as Leisha knew, there was only one in all of Omnipotence.

“Shafney, the Succubus…” Leisha murmured, recognizing her instantly.

Shien had just returned, and Shafney was already here.

“You’re that rumored ‘prototype,’ right?” Shafney asked, staring at Leisha for a long time, then murmured, a mix of wonder and lament, “You look just like her.”

Who she was referring to, those who knew, understood.

Leisha, looking at her pitiful appearance, almost let down her guard. (This woman, just as the rumors say, is so beautiful that even women are captivated.) She smiled wryly and, mustering her courage, said to Shafney,

“I didn’t expect to meet Your Highness here. Please forgive my rudeness,” she said, bowing to Shafney.

Shafney, however, seemed to see through her worries and chuckled.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you,” she said with a smile, “We Demon Lords have an agreement with the Three Goddesses and the Mitra Kingdom’s royal family. Considering your origins, we won’t interfere too much, so you don’t have to worry about me stealing your little maid, or doing anything to you.”

Then she added,

“Unless you want to follow me, that is.”

Saying this, she suddenly appeared before Leisha, lifting her chin and looking at her familiar face with a meaningful smile.

“You…!?” Leisha was startled, her body freezing, unable to move, mesmerized by the breathtakingly beautiful face so close to hers. She almost felt herself falling for her.

“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore,” Shafney said, releasing her chin and turning around, her back to Leisha.

Leisha, as if awakening from a dream, broke out in a cold sweat. She almost succumbed to the Succubus’s charm. Realizing this, she didn’t even dare to look at Shafney’s back and quickly lowered her head.

“Th-Thank you, Your Highness,” she stammered.

Shafney, seemingly losing interest in her, waved her hand dismissively.

“It seems you also have a deep connection with our Hero. In that case, I believe we’ll have more dealings in the future,” she said, glancing at Leisha, “If there’s a chance, I’d like to see that maid you created using Mother’s remains.”

Leaving these words, Shafney vanished.

“Phew…” Leisha breathed a sigh of relief, her heart still pounding.

“What a terrifying woman,” she murmured.

For such a woman to appear here alone before the three-race meeting, she didn’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. The only certainty was that from the moment she stepped into the Royal Capital, the city would be in chaos.

“Hopefully, this unpredictable Demon Lord won’t cause too much trouble for us,” Leisha could only pray, unsure if her prayers would be answered.

A day of commotion finally ended with various forms of unrest. By the next day, although Shien’s return was still a hot topic, it was no longer as sensational as yesterday. Many, having calmed down, began to focus on more practical matters, such as…

“Since Hero Shien has returned, how will he handle his engagement with Princess Lucy?”

“Will he break off the engagement? Or make her a concubine?”

“Would the royal family agree? Would we agree?”

“I definitely won’t agree!”

Such discussions began to emerge and spread, seemingly fueled by someone deliberately manipulating public opinion and pushing Shien into the spotlight.

Undeniably, many were waiting for the royal family’s response, to see how they would handle this matter with the Hero. Naturally, the Hero’s own attitude was also crucial.

Although he was a noble of the Kingdom, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that such a title was insignificant for someone with his status and special nature. If he was willing to acknowledge it, then fine, but if things went south, he wouldn’t hesitate to leave.

If that happened, the Hero’s presence in the Kingdom wouldn’t be an honor, but a disgrace. Would the Kingdom and the royal family compromise for the sake of the power behind him, to appease this Hero who had only risen in the past six months and clearly didn’t have a strong sense of belonging to the Kingdom? Many paid close attention to this matter.

Of course, this didn’t significantly affect the upcoming three-race meeting.

The Royal Capital continued to welcome dignitaries from around the world, a bustling scene. These dignitaries were received by designated nobles, some staying in noble residences, some in high-class inns prepared by the Kingdom, and some even in the Royal Palace.

Even dignitaries from other races, like the Beastmen and the Dwarves, had started to arrive. As the meeting drew closer, the Royal Capital would become even livelier, until even the dignitaries from the Divine Realm and the Demon Realm arrived, reaching its peak activity.

Under such circumstances, the Buztout residence, having welcomed Shien’s return, was naturally the target of much attention.

Therefore, many still came, hoping to visit Shien, the Hero, creating another bustling scene before the Buztout residence’s gate.

However, this time, they didn’t act as recklessly as yesterday. After all, a black dragon was now lying there, dozing, its draconic might making even the horses tremble, not daring to approach, and the dignitaries also looked apprehensive, waiting patiently for a chance to meet Shien.

They didn’t know that Shien had already left early in the morning, using teleportation to go to the Royal Palace. He didn’t even bother using the royal token Lucy gave him to enter, simply teleporting directly into the palace, silently and efficiently.

His destination was naturally Lucy’s bedchamber.

“Master Shien!”

“Master Shien!” Upon entering, the female knights of the Holy Sword Knights knelt before him, their respectful manner surprising him.

“Why are you suddenly so respectful today?” he asked, puzzled, then entered the bedchamber.

However, before going far, he heard whispers.

“Is Earl Buztout here to see Her Highness again?”

“Wasn’t last night enough?”

“He’s… he’s really something…”

“I thought even the Hero would need to rest today.”

“Shh, don’t be so loud.”

Hearing these whispers, Shien’s face darkened. He was speechless.

What were these gossiping female knights implying? With a dark expression, he walked down the corridor, reaching Lucy’s room.

“Master!” The four high-level female knights above level seventy, along with the other attendants, also knelt before him respectfully.

However, instead of feeling pleased, Shien felt like his privacy had been violated. He felt these knights weren’t respecting him as the Hero, but as a… pervert…

Well… it must be his imagination, right?

Shien chose to ignore their strange gazes and entered Lucy’s room.

Upon entering, he realized someone else was already here.

“Should I say ‘welcome back,’ Hero?” a resentful voice asked.

Lia sat in the room, facing the door, her expression as resentful as her tone.

Behind her, Charl, as always, accompanied her, looking at Shien with a mix of complex emotions, something different, and even a hint of admiration she hadn’t shown before.

Lucy sat across from Lia, having tea with her. However, her eyes were a cold gold, her aura mysterious and sacred.

Shien immediately knew… this drama queen was putting on an act again! Before, she pretended to be the perfect princess, and now, with [Blessing Wish] having manifested the power of fate, she was acting like a cold and aloof goddess.

This girl really knows how to play the game…

Shien didn’t expose her, but looked at the resentful Lia and smiled.

“It seems you’re not very happy to see me back, my First Princess,” he teased.

His teasing, however, didn’t improve Lia’s mood. On the contrary, she sneered.

“If it were the former Earl Buztout returning with the title of Hero, then I, Lilia, would naturally welcome him. Unfortunately, Earl Buztout brought back not only the title of Hero, but also an engagement decided without my sister’s consent,” she said, her words laced with sarcasm.

Shien knew she was upset on her sister’s behalf, so he touched his nose and shrugged.

“If I said that I was also kept in the dark, Your Highness, would you believe me?”

His words were met with Lia’s disdain, as if saying, “You think I’d believe that?”

“I thought so,” Shien said, knowing this would be her reaction.

One of the Six Demon Lords, Airi, the Dragon Demon, known as one of the most ruthless, having slain two Heroes, would make such a major decision unilaterally, without even consulting her fiancé? Who would believe that?

Although the Hero was a significant figure, he wasn’t so important that the Demon Race would marry off one of their own just to appease him. And as for quelling the unrest caused by the Hero’s reappearance, there was no need for that.

Honestly, if not for Shien’s special nature, and Airi herself not objecting, their relationship practically public knowledge, Sara wouldn’t have used this method to resolve the conflict between the three races. Marrying off a Demon Lord to a human Hero just to maintain peace? That sounded fake.

Therefore, Shien knew that no one would believe the truth.

So, he simply said,

“You might not believe this, but my fiancée is a desperate woman. Although everyone calls her ‘Your Highness,’ she actually wants to get married more than anyone.” Shien said this with a serious expression.

“…” Lucy almost couldn’t maintain her cold and aloof persona. He was clearly mocking her.

Lia, however, didn’t think he was talking about her younger sister, but about Airi. And hearing this, she almost laughed.

“You’re saying that the dignified Dragon Demon is actually a desperate woman?” she asked, almost amused, “Do you think I would believe such nonsense?”

Shien’s reply was simple.

“Believe it or not, that’s the truth. Do as you see fit,” he said, rolling his eyes, annoyed.

Lia, not expecting him to be so nonchalant, was also irritated.

“Alright, Sister Lia,” Lucy said, intervening, either to stop Shien’s mockery or to defend him, “We’ve already discussed this matter. You don’t have to worry.”

“Hmph,” Lia snorted and turned away, no longer speaking.

She knew her place. Although she could tease Shien, causing a conflict wouldn’t benefit them. After all, Shien was her benefactor, having helped her with a life-changing matter, allowing her to have her current life. Because of this, Lia had even resolved to help Shien and Lucy reach the top of this world, and this resolve hadn’t changed. Therefore, she wouldn’t push it.

Shien naturally didn’t mind and sat down beside the two princesses.

“I know you’re both concerned about this matter,” he said frankly.

“Let’s settle this today.”

Hearing this, Lucy, Lia, and even Charl turned to look at him.

Shien shrugged and said,

“Let’s go see your father.”

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