Chapter 73: Another Path!

The moon hung high over the wilderness, fractured through jagged clouds, its light rippling faintly on the water’s surface. The lake was cold and rather clean. A rare luxury in terrain like this.

Albedo had already sank into the depths of the lake, his lean, muscular form showed off as steam rose from his skin. All the slight cuts he had were already healed up, and now he was relaxing.

It had been a couple of hours since the battle, and Albedo and Ember had travelled far, now taking a break as he waited for the girls to wake up so he could talk to them.

On the opposite bank, Ember stood like a divine sentinel. Her mane, usually in full celestial bloom, had dimmed to a soft white-blue glow, still luminous but no longer fierce.

She stood over the two unconscious girls tied together at the base of a warped willow tree, flame-hooved and vigilant.

He looked over at them from the water, thinking about who they were once more.

Celeste Nocturna.

Lilian BloodHaven.

Even now, with bruises on their skin and faint scorch marks lining their clothing, they carried an innate aura of power.

Royal blood pulsed in their veins. High-tier mana, concentrated lineage blessings, battle instincts honed through brutal demon culture. Any one of them could have dominated a battlefield.

If he’d been just a few ranks lower, that fight would’ve ended very differently. However, with his recent power-ups, Albedo was confident there wasn’t someone around his age who could challenge him now.

In the original novel, Celeste had appeared in a late arc during the siege of the Demon Spires. She was the third daughter of the current Demon King, known as the most gifted of his children.

The Demon King adored her. Even the notoriously merciless royal tutors considered her a prodigy. She was a battle goddess, always first into the fray and the last one to leave.

And Lilian? She was in the same Chapter. The vampire girl who fought beside Celeste, never apart. Daughter of the Grand Duke BloodHaven, one of the oldest vampire clans still allied to the Demon Throne.

Though the book never said it outright, Albedo remembered fan theories that suggested Lilian had been raised alongside Celeste. That they had shared tutors and were best friends pretty much since birth.

And yet… in the original timeline, their roles had been minor. They appeared in a single arc, and once that arc was finished, they didn’t reappear.

“What are they even doing here?” Albedo muttered, he had never heard of them traveling outside of the Demon Kingdom.

A soft snort drew his attention. Ember had nudged the unconscious Lilian with her hoof, carefully, as if checking if the vampire girl was faking sleep.

She wasn’t. Her body twitched faintly as she shifted in her binds, brows furrowed in discomfort. A quiet groan escaped her lips. Her cheeks were flushed, not with pain, but humiliation.

Celeste stirred moments later, her body tensing as mana instinctively flared… then immediately dulled from the suppression cuffs.

“You’re awake,” Albedo said simply, his voice carrying across the lake, “Good. I didn’t want to have to drag this out.”

He watched them for a few seconds more, then went back to bathing, letting the water wash away the day’s grime.

Steam curled around him as he poured a bit of warming fire mana into the lake, adjusting the temperature around his body. A small, indulgent spell.

Celeste groaned and sat up, eyes blinking slowly. The moment she realized she was bound, however, her body froze. Her gaze snapped to Lilian, then to Ember.

Then finally… to Albedo.

“You…”

Her voice was hoarse. Filled with disbelief, and then anger, her eyes flashing with frustration as the memories of what happened reappeared at the front of her mind.

Albedo didn’t answer right away. He finished cleaning the blood off his arms, taking his time. The silence stretched.

Lilian’s eyes opened next, a low hiss escaping her lips as she struggled against her bonds. “Ugh… what the hell hit me…?”

“Me,” Albedo said flatly.

The Vampire blinked and tried to rise, only to find Ember’s gaze locked onto her. The Solaris Mare didn’t move, but Lilian immediately stopped squirming.

Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Okay. Okay. I yield. I surrender. Don’t let her step on me.”

Celeste, for her part, didn’t look scared, just angry. “You cheated.”

Albedo raised an eyebrow with confusion. He didn’t know their personalities much from the Novel, so he was surprised from her reaction, “With what? Strategy?”

He smirked, rising from the water and striding toward the bank, droplets cascading down his body as he toweled himself with a bit of summoned wind magic. “This wasn’t a duel. You jumped me. Don’t pretend otherwise.”

Celeste scowled but couldn’t argue.

Lilian looked him over, her eyes flickering slightly at the sight of his physique before quickly looking away with a sniff, “…Modesty much?”

He conjured an outfit with a flick of his fingers using the Ethereal Silk Armor, “You tried to enslave my beast. You don’t get to be embarrassed.”

Lilian flinched as she heard what he said, sighing as she spoke, “…Okay, fair.”

Albedo walked over to Ember, patting her flank as he took out a bloodfruit from his satchel and fed it to her. The Mare crunched it gratefully.

He sat down next to the girls, crossing his arms as the crackling of embers filled the air.

“You better release us before our family gets worried,” Celeste said and Albedo chuckled.

“So,” he said casually, glancing between them, “You two. Celeste Nocturna, third Demon Princess, the apple of your families eye,”

Celeste’s eyes narrowed as he said that.

“And you, Lilian BloodHaven. Heiress of the BloodReaper Court, only daughter of Grand Duchess Jordyn, and a pain in the ass.”

Lilian blinked, “Okay, that was specific.”

“So you do know us,” Celeste said slowly, “Good. Now let us go.”

Albedo didn’t blink. He stayed seated beside Ember, one hand still idly brushing the Mare’s spectral mane. Her warmth pulsed against his palm.

“Not happening,” he said flatly, “You attacked me. You tried to enslave my companion. I have no reason to trust anything either of you say.”

Lilian huffed, tugging slightly against the bindings, “Come on. We were just messing around! You made it personal by being, what’s the word, absurdly overpowered for your age.”

“Battle-hungry nobles thinking every fight is a game. Sounds about right.” Albedo leaned back, resting against a smoothed tree stump as he watched them with cold amusement, “I’ll drop you off once I reach Yazagoth. They can deal with your ransom or whatever process they have for rogue princesses and vampire heiresses.”

Celeste’s eyes glinted. “Yazagoth?” She scoffed, “You’ll waste more days crossing the outer rim just to get entry.”

“I’m not going there to vacation,” Albedo said coolly, “Just need access to the Demon Kingdom.”

“Well, you’re in luck,” Lilian said with a smirk, her sharp canines showing faintly. “Because I can get you access. Straight route. No delays.”

Celeste grunted but didn’t contradict her.

Albedo narrowed his eyes, “You’re offering me a shortcut… after trying to kill me and steal my soul-bonded mount.”

“I didn’t know she was bonded!” Lilian protested, “She just looked so shiny and rideable!”

Ember snorted threateningly, a puff of blue fire curling from her nostrils.

“Point is,” Lilian continued hastily, “I can open the door you’re walking toward. It’s not generosity, it’s leverage. You let us go, and we grease the wheels.”

Albedo stared at her in silence, then turned to Celeste, “You vouch for her?”

Celeste grunted,”Of course, I’m the Princess am I not? Plus Her mother is one of the Demon King’s closest advisors. The BloodReaper Court has its fangs in every noble seat across the Kingdom. If she says she can get you in, she can.”

He remained skeptical, “And how do I know you won’t sell me out once I’m through the gates?”

Celeste didn’t even blink, “You don’t.”

“Comforting.”

“But,” she added, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully, “We can seal it with a Veyth.”

Albedo raised an eyebrow, “Veyth?”

“A magical contract,” Lilian explained, perking up, “Old magic. Older than most demon rituals, actually. It uses mutual mana infusion, every participant inputs a strand of their mana into a neutral spell matrix. Once activated, it binds us to our word.”

“You break it,” Celeste said, “and the backlash can cripple your core.”

Albedo considered that for a moment. Veyth’s were vaguely talked about in the Novel during the arc they appeared, but not anything big.

“You’d actually agree to that?” he asked, looking between them.

Celeste nodded once, “To get out of these cuffs? Yes.”

“And because I think you’re interesting,” Lilian added, her tone amused. “And we really weren’t going to kill you. Promise.”

Albedo didn’t smile. “Fine. But I’m choosing the terms.”

He reached into his pouch, withdrawing a crystal slate, then conjured the incantation glyph from memory.

[ Veyth Formation Circle ]

The air shimmered as a tri-fold arcane diagram formed between them. Three points. Three hearts. Three strands of mana required.

He extended a hand.

Celeste and Lilian hesitated only a moment. Then they extended theirs as well, still bound, but with a small effort of will, released enough mana to form the pact.

Their fingertips met above the glyph. All three flared with their own essence, Albedo’s a crimson apocalypse flame, Celeste’s a molten gold veined with crimson, Lilian’s a blood-red shimmer edged with violet.

The glyph pulsed. Lines connected the points. Light swirled as the contract sealed.

The air snapped.

It was done.

Albedo drew back, “Terms are simple: You guide me safely into the Demon Kingdom without betrayal, ambush, or political games. In exchange, I unbind you now, and let you travel freely until we arrive.”

“And we don’t stab you in your sleep,” Lilian added, nodding.

“Or torch your horse,” Celeste said bluntly.

Ember pawed the ground, displeased.

“Deal,” Albedo confirmed, and with a flick of his hand, he dismissed the suppression cuffs. The enchanted shackles faded, dissolving into motes of pale light.

Both girls stretched slowly, groaning, but true to their word, neither made a move to attack.

Celeste flexed her fingers, rolled her shoulders, and cracked her neck. “Feels good to breathe again.”

Lilian smirked and gave a short bow, “Pleasure doing shady magical business with you.”

Albedo turned to Ember, who stepped forward, brushing her muzzle against his shoulder. He gave her a few calming strokes along her neck.

“Let’s go!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep