The final battle between the Demon King and the Hero’s Party… From the Demon Realm’s perspective, this battle, seen as an immortal legend in the Human Realm, was an unprecedented disgrace.
As one of the domain heirs, Luc had been taught from a young age to always remember this disgrace.
At that time, the Hero and his party bypassed the defense line where the Demon Army was confronting the Human Allied Forces, infiltrated the Demon Realm, and with two defecting Magi, launched a surprise attack on the Royal City where the Demon King resided.
This was a desperate surprise attack—because behind it lay another strategic decisive battle between the Human Realm and the Demon Realm after a thousand years.
At this time, the various countries of the continent were liberated by the active efforts of the Hero’s Party members… But the Demon King promptly responded to the already failing war situation.
He ordered the retreating Magi and the Demon Army to preserve their strength and withdraw, and to assemble in Nolan, the border region between the Human and Demon Realms that was then occupied by the Demon Army.
His strategic retreat allowed the defeated Demon Army to retain a considerable amount of surviving strength and stabilized the collapsing front line.
The two armies faced off at the pass of the Border Mountains, which was also the capital of Nolan, in the snowfield before Norantia… And beyond the snowfield, reinforcement troops conscripted from the Demon Realm mainland were crossing the Border Mountains like a tide, one after another, in great numbers, gathering toward Nolan.
This was the Demon King’s order. He dispatched his subordinate Magi to their respective domains to conscript and amass military forces.
This reinforcement army was composed of high-ranking Demon Lords from each domain and the countless powerful demons they commanded.
Its military might was immense and unparalleled, far surpassing the hastily assembled Human Allied Forces.
If they were allowed to join forces with the Demon Army holding Nolan and launch a counterattack, the defeat of the Human Allied Forces was almost certain.
To avoid failure after all their efforts, the Hero’s Party planned this decapitation operation.
But the Demon military side also guarded against such an event—they set up an alarm spell in the Demon City, so the moment the Demon City was attacked, the three Magi still loyal to the Demon King used a teleportation spell to go to its aid.
However, their transfer did not reach the interior of the Demon City as expected… because the two defected Magi and the Sage had already prepared for this situation. The Magi’s teleportation was disrupted, causing them to appear before the Sword Saint, who was lying in wait.
The Sword Saint’s goal was clearly just to hold off the Magi.
But even though they had fallen into a trap, they had absolute faith in the Demon King’s strength.
Coupled with their pride in their own power, they could not accept the Sword Saint’s provocation, nor the reality that a mere mortal dared to stand alone in their way.
They decided to kill the Sword Saint before them and then go to aid the Demon King, who was fighting the main force of the Hero’s Party.
But the course of events surprised them at every turn. Just as they were about to succeed, the Hero, who had already defeated the Demon King, came to her rescue.
And upon learning that the Demon King was indeed dead, the Magi no longer engaged in a life-or-death struggle with the remaining Party members and ultimately chose a ceasefire.
“His Majesty… how could His Majesty possibly lose? How could there be anything in the world that could break his mana barrier…”
Luc still vividly remembered the dejected muttering of Aoke’s father, the current Demon Duke.
In the past, she and her mother had visited his domain seeking help.
He was once the most valiant and fierce general under the Demon King, but whenever he recalled the battle of that day, he became a decrepit old man with a shattered soul.
Even after her mother exhausted all arguments, he only agreed to send his son to assist and participate in her mother’s plan.
Luc was also curious about what could have broken her father’s so-called invincible mana barrier.
Later, she learned from a history textbook at Norantia Academy that it was an arrow shot by a Fairy Ranger that pierced her father’s barrier, not only knocking him down from the sky but also inflicting a grievous wound that was difficult to heal.
An arrow shot by a mere elf had actually pierced the barrier built from the Demon King’s unparalleled mana—her mother and the Magi had deliberately avoided this topic. But they still set that Fairy Ranger, Iyue Nair, as one of the highest priority targets of interest.
At the same time, she was the highest value target of the “Demon King Succession War.”
Including Luc, many heirs of the Demon Duke participating in the succession war had tried to track her down, but the results were almost always fruitless.
She was like an unfathomable pale wind—only rumors circulating among the continent’s adventurers about a certain elf who constantly explored and traversed ancient ruins reminded all those who sought her that she indeed existed.
‘If you had told me in advance that you were going to see her… then even if Nine Night Moon didn’t give the order, I would have come to see her with you.’
Milin led the way with cheerful steps, while Luc silently followed behind her.
Luc certainly didn’t think she alone could defeat that elf, especially since her own nemesis was here.
Setting aside Nine Night Moon’s orders, she just wanted to see what kind of person that woman who played a decisive role in defeating her father really was—and if possible, she also wanted to know just how great the gap between them was.
‘Why do I want to know? Am I… trying to avenge my father?’
This self-question suddenly popped into Luc’s mind. At the same time, she looked at the girl in front of her, who was her nemesis.
Her hair was still so vivid, like a blazing fire. The weight of her fist still lingered in Luc’s memory.
There was shame and anger after the crushing defeat… but in the end, it was her own lack of skill.
And the angry rebuke from that day echoed in Luc’s heart like a morning bell.
‘I see… someone told you that too, didn’t they? You pitiful puppet with no thoughts of your own.’
‘She was right. Avenging my father is my mother’s wish. I only did these things because I wanted to fulfill my mother’s wish. I am willing to do anything for the mother I love… but what feelings do I have for the father I have never met?’
“We’re here. Please wait for me here. I also need to ask Sister Iyue if she can see you… after all, I brought you here on my own.”
“I understand. Thank you for your kindness.”
In the end, even after arriving at their destination, Luc had not found the answer to that question.
She stood by the courtyard wall, waiting for Milin to knock on the door.
“How strange… is she not home?”
After Milin knocked for a while, no one came to the door. She scratched her head, then said to Luc.
“Sorry, please wait for me a little longer.”
With that, she gently pushed open the courtyard gate and entered. After only ten or so seconds, she came back out of the courtyard.
“The courtyard gate wasn’t locked, but the inner door was locked… so she must have gone out for something. But the Sister Iyue I know shouldn’t make such a stupid mistake…”
She muttered to herself, then quickly realized Luc was still waiting.
“I’m really sorry, Miss Grier. I said I would take you to see her, but it seems she’s not here.”
“That is a pity, but it’s fine.”
Not being able to meet the person in person did make Luc feel a bit regretful, but she had gained important information about the location of Iyue Nai Er Mei’s residence on this trip… so she didn’t feel that disappointed.
“Then let’s go to the giant tree of the Nelf Family.”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to try that specialty green tea cookie? Let’s buy some and then go back.”
Milin warmly took Luc’s hand… caught off guard, Luc froze for a moment.
“This… of course.”
She did not pull her hand back from Milin’s grasp. Milin looked at her with a grin.
‘Hmm, this person doesn’t seem to be of the Demon Race.’
She glanced at her own bracelet. The largest bead was a “Communication Pearl,” and among the other strung pearls, one was a bead she had broken off from a Demon Detection Device’s Demon Crystal and polished—it was not emitting a warning red light.