Chapter 238

Sheffy let out a wry smile, propping up her chin and resting against Xiarette’s shoulder. She didn’t deny her own callousness.

Sigh, Fire Lizard, did you really think she wanted to bring both corps back to the royal capital?

It was her unlucky father, after all, who’d said that after this rebellion, they had to bring both corps back to Campeno. The new corps commanders needed to be appointed, the military reorganized and disciplined—that’s how this whole situation had come to be.

It looked like the army was escorting Sheffy.

But in truth, it was Sheffy “escorting” the army.

When it came down to it, even without surveillance, the Third Corps wouldn’t cause any more trouble. Their previous actions were simply due to the effects of mental magic. And even if something did stir up again, the presence of the Second Corps would be enough to suppress it.

But sometimes—

That was exactly the role of a spiritual pillar.

After the recent upheaval, both corps were still in a daze, utterly disoriented. The presence of a royal figure was necessary to stabilize the situation.

They might still not fully understand the reason for returning to the capital.

But what they could understand was this—there was no longer a traitorous corps commander leading them in rebellion.

Now, they were truly following in the footsteps of the Demon Clan, upholding a warrior’s pride and honor.

With the path laid out before them so clearly, how could they not march forward with heads held high?

A gleam of light shone in the eyes of both corps as they followed behind the royal princess’s carriage. At the very center, heavily surrounded by both corps, was the prisoner transport carrying the leader of the rebellion—Murof.

From the empty, lifeless look in this fallen noble’s eyes, it was clear—whatever great existence he once believed in… must have died in his heart this time.

Meanwhile, Bryant—the old chief strategist of the Third Corps, who had been saved by Sheffy and the others—rode his horse up quickly behind the princess’s carriage to report in. He was careful not to let his mount’s hooves pass the wheels of Her Highness’s carriage.

From behind the carriage curtain that blocked his view, Bryant’s voice rang out with hearty laughter.

“Ha ha ha! Your Highness arrived at just the right time! If not for Your Highness stepping in, who knows what fate would’ve befallen me and the Third Corps! Oh, but speaking of which—about last night’s battle with the snowman, there was a silver-haired girl, unfamiliar to me, who contributed quite a bit! Her swordsmanship—absolutely brilliant! A true warrior fit for the battlefield! The stories are already spreading all throughout the corps. Your Highness, might you know who she is?”

Bryant asked because he had indeed never seen that warrior before.

Silver hair was a symbol of the Demon Royal Family, but not all silver-haired individuals were of royal blood.

As the corps strategist, Bryant was someone who valued talent. He admired the courage of this warrior and was grateful for her outstanding performance on the battlefield. So he wished to bring her to Sheffy’s attention, hoping she could be properly recognized and, if possible, rewarded according to the military’s system of merit—an honor a warrior rightfully deserved.

A moment of silence passed within the carriage, followed by Sheffy’s voice.

“I know, but I need to think for a bit.”

“Uh…?”

Don’t be so impatient. I need to come up with an identity for this ‘Snowman-Slaying Hero’ first.

Sheffy turned her gaze toward Xiarette, who had already returned to her golden-haired appearance. Seeing the confusion in her eyes, an idea suddenly struck.

With a mischievous grin, Sheffy looked at Xiarette, then raised her voice to answer Bryant outside the carriage.

“I know who you mean—you’re talking about Xia Harl, aren’t you?”

“Xia… She’s royalty?!”

“Yes, she’s my cousin from a collateral branch of the family. She’d been living among the common folk for years. I was the one who found her. Haven’t reported it to Father King yet.”

“My apologies!” Bryant’s voice carried noticeable respect now. “I didn’t realize this hero was a member of the royal family… I was out of line! But she lived among the common folk…?”

“Things you shouldn’t ask, don’t ask.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

With that reply, Bryant immediately concluded—this newly discovered royal was likely right there in the carriage.

It wouldn’t be long before her existence would be formally announced to the world by His Majesty the Demon King.

To learn of such a significant matter in advance was indeed an honor.

There were quite a few members of the royal family from collateral branches. Though their bloodline couldn’t compare to the direct lineage of the Demon King’s household, the return of a lost royal was undoubtedly a major event.

Details aside—details Bryant knew better than to ask—there was one thing this battle-hardened warrior remained especially curious about.

Riding the momentum, he summoned the courage to pose a question:

“Princess Xia’s strength… Could she be Five-Winged? I didn’t see her wings during last night’s battle, but with that sublime combat prowess—none of my subordinates or commanders could hope to match her.”

“She probably is indeed Five… Five-Winged? Mm, yes, definitely.”

“I knew it!” Bryant exclaimed in delight. As a loyal general guarding the border, he inwardly offered blessings for the Demon Clan’s future advancement. “To reach such a domain at such a young age, what a blessing for our Demon Clan! I’m not exaggerating when I say this, but I believe Princess Xia’s strength rivals that of Princess Belith, a true genius! Given time, she’ll no doubt—!”

Thud!!

Bryant froze.

A loud impact suddenly came from inside the carriage—like a fist slamming down with force. The sound echoed with such intensity it startled the horses, which neighed in alarm.

Upon realizing they weren’t the ones being struck, they resumed pulling the carriage for dear life.

Bryant gulped and cautiously asked,

“Your Highness…? Did I say something wrong?”

“You said nothing wrong,” Sheffy’s voice responded—tinged now with unease. “You may fall back. I’ve received your report.”

“U-Understood!”

Bryant eased his pace and rejoined the military ranks.

He dared not ask further.

He didn’t know what had just happened, but he could feel the murderous aura leaking from within that carriage!

Weren’t you supposed to keep quiet?

Why must you bring up exactly the wrong thing? Truly a man of unfortunate timing.

Inside the carriage, Sheffy was breaking out in cold sweat, lightly patting Belith’s head in an attempt to soothe the now-fluffed-up big cat, all the while murmuring placating words.

“There, there… Just Xia, that’s all. How could she ever compare to you? You’re so fierce, and she’s just a little kitten.”

Look at that.

One punch from Belith had smashed a hole through the carriage floor. Now that was a future worth looking forward to.

…………………………………

69. Rewards and Titles

The army rushed back to the royal capital overnight, braving wind and dust. After a single day of rest, they were welcomed by a highly anticipated, traditional grand event of the Demon Domain:

—— The Postwar Rewards Ceremony.

A customary celebration in the battle-revering Demon Domain, the event had no fixed date—it was held whenever the army returned victorious. Merits would be assessed, ranks awarded accordingly, the soldiers would eat well, recuperate, and prepare to set off again.

This time’s conflict was a bit special. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t exactly a “victory,” since it had been a civil strife within the Demon Clan, not a battle against foreign enemies.

But once investigations made it clear that the Holy Theocracy of Coreia had been manipulating events behind the scenes, the narrative shifted.

Seizing this opportunity to assess contributions and bestow rewards, and to “celebrate” this “victory,” also served as a firm show of force—a slap in the face to the distant Pope of Coreia.

And so, that evening—

The streets and alleys of Campeno, the royal city, were adorned with lanterns and decorations. Merchants along the roads brought out their finest wares to sell. Bards and minstrels from across the lands gathered in Campeno to chronicle the grand festivities that overtook the entire city.

Due to the large number of participants, it was inconvenient to hold the reward ceremony inside the city. Thus, the military commendation event was arranged on the western outskirts of the royal capital. There, the great nobles of the city would act on behalf of the Demon King to bestow the initial honors. Near the end of the ceremony, His Majesty the Demon King would personally appear, deliver a rousing speech, and kick off an all-night celebratory banquet.

The entire royal capital of Campeno was boiling with excitement.

In contrast, the Demon King’s castle was relatively peaceful.

Why was the Demon King only arriving at the celebration later?

Naturally, because—when it came to family, they had their own private reward ceremony. A “family knighting” that didn’t involve any outsiders!

“Ahem! Xia Harl! As the ruler of the Demon Clan, I shall bestow upon you the reward of your choosing! Be grateful for this! It shall be the greatest hon— Oww?!”

Dielzna, the Demon King, was getting more and more into it, his voice growing increasingly grand and domineering—until a powerful punch to the back of his head utterly shattered His Majesty’s dignity.

He froze for a second, then turned around to face his smiling, sweet-tempered wife… whose forehead veins were bulging with barely contained fury.

“Uh… Herilet, why did you hit me?”

“Dielzna, would you please watch your tone when talking to the children…? There’s no one else here, and yet you still speak like that. Don’t you realize it’ll just make them think you’re a cold, difficult father and want to avoid you?”

“Really?!”

“If you don’t believe me, ask them yourself. Sigh… just look at the kind of father you’ve been. Sheffy ran away from home, and you bear a big part of the blame.”

“I… Argh!”

Today, once again, was a day when His Majesty the Demon King could not act cool.

Dielzna sat back down on the Demon King’s throne and swept his gaze across the grand hall.

There were no outsiders present—only Sheffy, Belith, and their friends.

If one had to point out an outsider, perhaps the Princess from Aurus would count. But since Sheffy had said it was fine not to mind, Dielzna knew better than to say more.

In truth, Xiarette hadn’t even heard the Demon King’s earlier proclamation. She was completely focused on fixing the folded fabric creases at the collar of Sheffy’s blue rose formal gown.

“Sheffy, you really don’t have to force yourself to wear a dress. We’re in your own home—why go through all this trouble?”

“No way! Today is your award ceremony. You said we’d do it ourselves and not invite any guests—fine, I agreed to that. But if even the outfit isn’t formal, then it’ll feel like child’s play!”

“It’s not about being formal or not… Why are you suddenly so fixated on holding a knighting ceremony for me? You’re usually the first one to avoid this kind of hassle. Today you’re acting really weird… Come on, be honest—are you hiding something from me?”

“N-No! Definitely not! This isn’t some sort of revenge plot, so don’t overthink it!”

“……”

Got it. Case closed.

The moment Sheffy said “revenge plot,” Xiarette instantly understood.

Xiarette might not have been the brightest, and she wasn’t good at analysis—but she did understand Sheffy.

Sheffy had made great contributions while maintaining the identity of Shaya. At the time, due to the circumstances, she had no choice but to accept a reward ceremony from the King of Aurus. It had been a grand event—attended by the full court—and she had been granted the title of Earl, becoming the youngest person in the history of Aurus to receive such an honor. She had undoubtedly stolen the spotlight.

To outsiders, it may have seemed like something to be proud of. But, as Xiarette had once said, Sheffy was someone who hated troublesome things the most!

Back then, Xiarette hadn’t been able to hold back a chuckle when she saw Sheffy scowling from the hassle—just one laugh, and Sheffy had remembered it ever since.

Vengeance must be served—that was Sheffy’s principle.

Xiarette, we share our joys and our woes. You’re going to taste this bittersweet ceremony too!

Sheffy hadn’t gone so far as to gather the entire court, of course. Xiarette’s identity was too delicate. Even if she now had the cover of being a recently rediscovered member of a collateral royal branch, making a huge fuss would still be unwise. And besides, Sheffy wasn’t that petty—if perfection couldn’t be achieved, at the very least, the dress and the ceremony’s procedures must be properly arranged. That would count as letting Xiarette off lightly!

While helping Sheffy adjust the ribbon at her collar, Xiarette leaned down slightly on purpose, while Sheffy deliberately tiptoed, narrowing the distance between them.

They were trying to make things easier for each other—but in the end, only made it more difficult. And yet, the scene was heartwarmingly sweet.

Livra squinted her eyes with a silly smile, utterly content as she admired the loving and harmonious moment before her.

“So nice, so very nice… I’m so jealous of Lady Xiarette…”

Where some rejoiced, others could only sigh.

“Alright… alright, Royal Sister, it’s just a formality, okay? No need to go too overboard. Let’s wrap up the award ceremony quickly—you did promise to go watch the magic fireworks show in the suburbs with me. Don’t you dare go back on your word~”

“Oh! Of course, of course! It only comes once a year. Mmm… but there are always so many people. Every time I get shoved to the back of the crowd, and everyone’s so tall—I can’t even see the sky. Then when the fireworks fly up, they explode too close and scare me…”

“No problem! Royal Sister can ride on my shoulders this year. I’ll carry you so you can watch properly.”

“I’m just wondering… you’re not exactly tall yourself, are you? Don’t you also have to stand on a stool every year to see properly?”

Sheffy shot Belith a side-eye with the signature glare only a shorty could deliver.

Though she was long used to her little sister’s face, Belith still couldn’t help but be dazzled once more.

Sheffy, with her peerless cuteness and silver-haired bun-shaped head, already looked like a living doll. But standing next to her, her slightly taller little sister—dressed in a formal gown of deep black trimmed with white feathers, paired with white silk tights and polished little heels—delivered a striking visual impact.

Damn it… this brat growing from loli into young lady is just showing off now!

Of course, Xiarette—currently in her transformed silver-haired state—still looked as dashing as ever in her crimson rose formal dress.

And Livra, whose usual outfits were already as elaborate as evening gowns, stood beside them in her signature emerald-colored long dress, exuding her natural, princess-like aura just as effortlessly as always.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep