Aristella didn't appear again after that night, causing Asmodeus to wonder what her words and appearance ant. The elves beca more resistant and reluctant the closer the group ca to the capital of the elves.
'The corruption is spreading...'
Asmodeus noticed that the weak, dying flowers and plans increased in number the closer they ca to the capital and north of the continent. 'Aristella... How are you connected to this?' She didn't appear even when he called for her. He wondered if the fact she beca reclusive caused the forest to lose her divine blessing, leading to the corruption.
[I haven't been able to contact her either. There is so kind of rift stopping from eting the other gods...]
'Why doesn't that feel good? Is phisto onto us?'
[No, this feels more like the punishnt for what I did for you... The mont you ascend, the world will react in a way that I cannot even predict.]
The interesting thing for Asmodeus made Serena worried because once he reached a level that forrly the gods forbid, not just phisto but the other gods who ruled the other races and main continent might get involved. So a battle junkie like him filled with excitent at the idea of sothing big happening.
'Well take care of yourself first, I am sure that girl will contact again, it's just a hunch.'
"Asmodeus, are you alright?" Ciela's low voice flowed into his ear, and the concentration while speaking with Serena shattered as he felt her hands touching his cheek. "You didn't respond for quite so ti... I beca worried."
Asmodeus looked around and found himself in a flower field where they had set up camp after one last day of travel. It would soon be the mont Ciela would face her family, but that didn't seem to be important for her. "I am find, but Ciela what about you?" He noticed her hands and fingers trembled while she tried to avoid speaking and kept to herself since entering the forest.
"It doesn't matter." She sat on her knees before him with a determined expression, as if she had prepared herself for every outco, such as losing everything, just like in his nightmare. "I know that father doesn't care for mother and anymore... his new wife and her children are all he must think about."
"Even if, he still is your family-..."
"Haha, Asmodeus..." Ciela's face changed for a mont as she started laughing after raising her head, but her laughter quickly died out, and tears started flowing down her cheeks. "Family, really?"
Asmodeus placed a hand on her cheek, knowing well that Ciela struggled to accept that word. Because of what happened in the past, he only knew half of the story about her sister treating her like so kind of object and useful pawn. 'If I didn't help her back then if she hadn't beco a dark elf, would that woman have dragged Alicia back ho?'
"Why do you look so sad and concerned?" Ciela's eyes opened wide, glistening as she looked at Asmodeus' reflection in them.
"I wouldn't mind being hated by those people and losing everything if you don't mind a dark elf who is no longer a princess..." She laid her body against his torso, resting her head against his chest as Asmodeus wrapped his arms around her.
"It's far too late to even consider leaving or abandoning you."
"I see... I'm glad..." Ciela seed to have been holding her emotions and frustration inside as she soon fell asleep, clutching her hands around Asmodeus' clothes, not letting go for a long ti after releasing her feelings.
Asmodeus closed his eyes, feeling that the visit to the palace tomorrow would definitely not end well—he wondered how he could help Ciela without letting the others hurt her too much.
He gazed at the dulling sky and thought to himself while the sound of people preparing to camp echoed through the night.
,
,
,
anwhile, in the northeastern reaches of the forest, a vast legion of elves wearing light brown leather, well-maintained elven bows and swords stood before an odd fortress-like town that rose above the ground like a massive tree with many roots running across the ground and branches high into the air.
"Empress Sarina, the demons have yet to pass through the Twinflower glade."
The beautiful empress, with erald eyes and blonde hair flowing in a high ponytail, looked at the elven warrior while pressing her glossy lips together. Her armour was similar to that worn by the n, though far more elaborate in design and embellished with delicate silver etchings.
"Have you any reports on their numbers, scout Nuala?" Enjoy new adventures from empire
"We estimate their force to be in the hundreds," Nuala responded promptly. However, my scouts were unable to reach the convoy itself because several guards were constantly patrolling and scouting themselves."
"Only hundreds? That cannot be true, the oracle said the demon king would invade the palace." Empress Sarina closed her eyes and touched her forehead before asking. "What level of demon are we facing?"
"The group consisted primarily of imps and winged beasts resembling harpies. So scouts claid to have seen a tall humanoid demon among them, but they could not confirm its level or rank."
'Sothing feels wrong... I don't understand what is happening.'
Sarina no longer had the sa attitude as a few years ago. Now, standing close to her daughter Ar'Una, she took a deep breath and wanted to tear the concubine Er'Gladia into pieces.
'That woman, she knows the truth. Runa is safe beside , but that witch will never let her go.'
Empress Sarina gazed at the small bracelet given to her by the beautiful Ar'Orina, her daughter, whom she had beco wary of because of her support of her father and his son.
The green stone on it slowly began to flicker; the graceful empress swallowed hard when she sensed sothing off and unnatural around her neck.
"Ar'Ciela?! You've co ho... oh... my beautiful girl, but I am not there to welco you, what will happen when I co back?!"
A thousand thoughts sward through her mind like a tempest. Fear gripped her as she clenched her fist around the pendant, where a na suddenly appeared.
To the empress, all three daughters had different anings, but they shared one thing in common: Sarina adored and loved them equally.
'If I could go back and tell Ciela the true reason I sent her to Grigor... that there was an oracle she would et her destined one, would she have hated and resented less? I only hope that the man she t makes her happier than anything else.'
Sarina turned her gaze toward the front. She looked at the silent warriors before looking up at the full moon, which illuminated her fair skin.
"We attack tonight, even if the demons think they are the lords of the darkness, we are daughters of Aristella! The Goddess who adores the moonlight! Prepare to attack them, load lightly, carry your bows low, let us hunt so orcs!"
"Yes, your majesty!"
The elven warriors replied firmly. Those who followed the empress loved both the silver forest and her majesty more than anything else in the world.
.
.
.
As if the world had begun preparing itself, even the King of Grigor prepared in the dark of this cold night. In his chambers, he gazed at several knights and familiar faces, no longer in his expensive and gaudy clothes—Duke Qwass knelt before the King.
"Your Highness, we are here to serve Grigor!"
The sins of Duke Qwass were enough for execution, completely committing treason. However, when his mind control shattered, and the aftereffects of the dark magic faded, he returned to the original man who once adored and served the King more devotedly than any other.
"Qwass, you lost your title and beca a re knight, do you still swear your allegiance to ?"
King Grigor, a once-ageing monarch with a stern countenance, was now handso and powerful, with a youthful aura.
He sat on his throne as the light from candles flickered, casting shadows over his sharp features. "Are you truly prepared to fight for the ? I am the one that destroyed your family and left them to rot in the middle of a burning city?"
"My King, the sins I have committed can only be repaid with blood, sweat and tears. Allow to go north and aid our elven allies."
While Duke Qwass held no hatred for the King's actions, the betrayal he committed under the influence of dark magic filled him with anger. His feelings of hatred turned toward himself rather than others, so he began practising swordsmanship once again and swore his oath as a knight once again to Avandar.
However, instead of protecting Grigor, he wished to repair the diplomatic bond with the elves that he and his family had helped ruin while under the forr queen's magic.
To put the King at ease, he accepted a soul-binding vow: He could NEVER betray Avandar, Alan or anyone in the Grigor royal family again.
'Well, although I wish this man dead, my little brother gave a good usage for this man well loved by the knights in his territory.'
The King clicked his tongue when he saw the image of this man sleeping with his ex-wife behind his back. "Very well, Duke Qwass, you may go to the north and protect the elves and support our ally Demon King Asmodeus..."
Part of the King and his jealous feelings wanted Qwass to die fighting demons, but he needed the man, at least for now.
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