Chapter 457 The Demon King's Most Human Episode
Irene had a very long dream.
In her dream, she was no longer in the forest soaked in chaos and blood, but returned to the manor in the countryside of Leimingcheng.
The afternoon sun shone through the treetops, casting mottled shadows in her teacup.
Colin sat next to her, quietly flipping through a book with a faint smile on his lips.
He was always very quiet, and his deep purple eyes contained many things that she could not understand.
Sometimes, she felt sorry for him.
Although she never mentioned this matter, she was embarrassed to mention it.
Gradually, Irene felt a little tired from the dazzling light, so she yawned and fell asleep like a lazy cat.
Colin did not leave, nor did he wake her up. He just sat quietly beside her, gently stroking her forehead with his warm palm, wiping away the fine sweat stains caused by the nightmare.
That tenderness made her feel extremely attached, and she wanted to stay by his side forever and never wake up.
However--
She knew very well that she couldn't just fall asleep like this.
She carried not only armor on her shoulders, but also the people of the Duchy of Campbell and many other things that she could not put down.
"...I'm taking a nap, remember to wake me up." She murmured softly, as if she had returned to her childhood when her father was still by her side.
Colin, who placed his hand on her forehead, responded softly.
"Um."
Faintly, she also heard something else——
It seemed like a very evil voice, overlapping with those heartwarming words.
"...I will grant you new life."
The sweet dream was as fleeting as quicksand between fingers. After an unknown amount of time, Irene slowly opened her heavy eyelids.
What came into view was not the familiar manor, nor the peaceful and tranquil paradise, but a rock wall illuminated by a campfire.
She is still alive.
It's nothing short of a miracle.
Irene slowly moved her neck and found herself lying on soft fur, covered with a heavy coat.
Colin is gone.
That was obvious; he couldn't have been here since he was so far overseas.
Irene subconsciously wanted to sit up, but immediately felt something strange.
She found that the heavy plate armor she was wearing had been taken off, leaving her only with a close-fitting inner lining, and even the collar was open, looking disheveled.
Feeling the close gaze, the sleepy Irene's eyes suddenly became cold, and a cold murderous aura rose to the sky!
The "Light of Legend" is not far from her hand!
And it is maintaining the shape of a sword!
Without the slightest hesitation, she grabbed the hilt of the sword with her right hand like lightning, turned over, and slashed at the dark shadow in the corner beside her with her backhand!
"clang--!"
The golden sword light tore through the darkness in the cave, leaving a palm-wide sword mark on the thick rock wall!
Unfortunately, the sword hit empty air and did not kill the rude man!
The ethereal black shadow was like a weightless feather, floating into the darkness deeper into the cave in front of her.
Then, a hoarse and sinister laugh sounded from there.
"You finally woke up."
The voice was emotionless, like a demon king looking down at a chessboard, whispering to his interesting pieces.
"Who are you!"
The murderous intent in Irene's eyes remained unchanged.
She clutched her collar with one hand and held the sword with the other. Her whole body was tense as she stared vigilantly at the bottomless darkness.
Her heart ached slightly, but she had no time to check the extent of her injuries.
Her intuition told her that the guy in front of her was very strong, even more terrifying than Rolandal who had teased her in the forest before!
but……
He doesn't seem hostile?
After calming down, Irene gradually realized that the reason she moved from the forest to here might be related to the person in front of her.
He must have saved himself.
At least--
If he wanted to do something while she was unconscious, she would have absolutely no chance to resist, let alone hold the Light of Legend in her hands as soon as she opened her eyes.
However, even after confirming this, Irene did not dare to be careless at all. Who knows if this is a trick of the Chaos Apostle?
Their rituals are more elaborate than those of the demons in hell.
“That’s a good question.”
Looking at Irene who was still in chaos, Luo Yan hid his figure and thought for a moment, then uttered a response softly.
"My name is Luo Yan."
This was the first time he said his real name in front of Irene.
Following Kallen, who knew about his two aliases, someone now knew about his three aliases. However, unlike Kallen, Irene had no idea that all three aliases were the same person.
"...Luo Yan?"
A moment of confusion flashed across Irene's eyes.
She tried hard to search for the name in her memory, but could not find any trace.
Whether it is the nobles of the Duchy of Campbell or the famous strongmen on the continent of Os, it seems that no one is called this name.
But she also felt that this name was so kind, even familiar...
Just when Irene was confused, the deliberately lowered voice sounded again.
"We'll meet again."
Irene was startled, and when she realized he was about to leave, she quickly spoke.
"Wait a moment!"
The man did not wait.
The moment the words fell, the dark shadow, along with its unfathomable aura, completely disappeared into the darkness...
He left.
Irene could do nothing but watch the dark shadow and his breath disappear into the depths of the cave.
The man who called himself "Luo Yan" had a strength as bottomless as the maze of Leiming County, as if he came from a hell even deeper than that.
Even if she recovered to her peak condition, she might not be his match, not to mention that she was having difficulty even standing now.
It would be better to reunite with the main force first.
Reason made Irene give up the idea of exploring deeper into the cave. With full of vigilance and confusion, she turned back to the campfire.
Surprising.
All her gear was there, neatly stacked.
The mysterious man seemed to be a very particular guy, and he even did such small things meticulously.
Of course, even though he has a delicate side, he is still a vast ocean away from the elegant and proper Mr. Colin.
At least that gentleman would never do anything to embarrass a lady.
He would not just disappear without saying anything, leaving her alone here...
Suppressing the distracting thoughts in her mind, Irene quickly tidied up her messy clothes and put the cold and familiar armor back on.
The heavy metal pressing on her shoulders gave her a sense of peace of mind.
Beneath the last piece of armor lay a well-drawn map and a brass compass.
On the map, a small circle drawn in red ink clearly marked her current location.
This meticulous care formed a strange contradiction with the devilish aura, and it also deepened Irene's doubts.
What on earth does this guy want to do?
She couldn't understand.
However, what he needs to do now is not to explore the truth, but to return to the people who care about him as soon as possible and find out what is going on outside.
Irene walked out of the cave and saw a quiet forest shrouded in moonlight.
The night wind caressed her face softly, and she could faintly hear the chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves in the forest.
Irene took a deep breath, raised the torch removed from the campfire, and walked towards the military camp with the help of the map and compass.
It is pitch dark in the forest at night, and even the brightest torch can only dispel shadows within five steps.
But for Erin Campbell, that was enough.
She walked in the forest for a long time, and the view ahead finally became a little wider. Low vegetation and flat land replaced the dense woods and mounds.
Campfires and smoke can be vaguely seen in the distance. A winding river runs through the woods, and the sound of gurgling water replaces the noisy chirping of insects.
Irene stopped.
The continuous fierce fighting and high mental tension made her feel tired. She wanted to wash her face before returning to the camp to make herself look more energetic.
She squatted down, stuck the torch into the soil beside her, and looked down at the river surface illuminated by the bright moonlight.
At this moment, she was completely stunned.
I saw a pale face reflected in the river. Unlike her previous rosy whiteness, it was almost as white as paper.
More than that—
Her lips had also lost their color, with a hint of dark blue in the faint red.
But that's not the point.
Irene knew that she had lost too much blood and her body was at its weakest, so it was normal for her lips to be pale and her face to be bloodless.
What really surprised her was that her golden hair, which should have shone like the sun, had now turned as bright as moonlight!
"This is……"
Untie the braided hair at the back of her head.
Irene raised her hands with trembling index fingers, and instead of scooping up a handful of spring water to splash on her face, she picked up a strand of her hair.
The delicate touch clearly reminded her that what she saw was not an illusion.
Surprise and hesitation were intertwined on her resolute and pretty face. She stood there for a long time without saying a word.
What on earth happened?!
…
The look of him trying to suppress his heartbreak but remaining resolute was truly heartbreaking, but Luo Yan, who was standing in the distance, did not come out from the shadow of the woods.
After Irene left the cave, he did not leave, but followed her quietly until she reached the river.
Here, she was basically safe.
Unless she can't get over it.
"Lord Demon King, is it really okay to leave her there alone?" The milky white ghost floated beside Luo Yan and asked in a low voice.
As the master's divine being and follower, it would naturally feel sorry for those whom Luo Yan cares about.
Staring at the figure that looked particularly lonely in the moonlight, Luo Yan was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke.
“This is the best option.”
He had imagined many possibilities, including a direct showdown or letting it go, but this option was the most reliable.
It's true that she is a strong person, but if she were to bear all the truth at once, even that strength would be easily destroyed.
It is obvious that the name "Colin" has been deified by her, and even became her only spiritual support, and was even engraved into the light of legend.
That was most likely the only straw left in her hand as she drowned in the water.
Therefore, Luo Yan made a compromise choice, letting her adapt to the changes in her body first, and then leaving the power to decide whether to accept this "new life" to her.
If she really doesn't want to continue living as a vampire, then the "Light of Legend" is in her hands.
But it was obvious that Irene also seemed to think that she still had unfinished business, so she didn't point the sword at herself...
Under Luo Yan's gaze, she suppressed all the emotions in her heart, washed away the stains on her face, then calmed herself down and continued walking towards the military camp with determination.
She carries the hopes of her brother and all her people on her shoulders. She must win this war and put an end to the chaos corruption that is raging in the Dusk Province...
At all costs!
Looking at the figure disappearing on the forest path and the heavy footprints left on the ground, Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief and whispered something to Youyou beside him.
"It's time for us to show up too."
He would go and comfort her.
But he didn’t use the name Luo Yan, but the pseudonym “Colin”.
Colorful butterflies fluttered away from the shadows of the trees. At the same time, Luo Yan's figure disappeared into the shadows, replacing the illusion more than ten kilometers away.
It was not far from Campbell's barracks.
The news of Irene's disappearance had not yet spread, and most of the soldiers were celebrating the day's victory. Heroic laughter and the sound of bagpipes played by dwarves could be faintly heard from the campfire.
Thanos had been waiting there and had prepared a half-tired horse for his respected Majesty.
Now, Luo Yan had to play the role of Colin, who had just disembarked from the port of Thunder City and galloped all the way to the front line...
"Stop! Who are you?"
The patrolling sentry soon discovered Colin riding alone towards the camp, and immediately took off the musket on his back and shouted sternly.
It was dark here, so of course they couldn't recognize Colin's identity. They just felt that the newcomer was extraordinary and it was obvious that he was not an ordinary person. Therefore, they felt a little uneasy, fearing that he was a nobleman, and did not dare to point their guns at him.
Luo Yan suddenly pulled the reins, and the warhorse under him, which was only breathing its last breath, let out a tired neigh and shouted loudly to the soldiers.
"Roxy Colin! I am the prince of the Duchy of Colin! Please tell your general Irene Campbell that I'm here to see her!"
The soldiers present had certainly heard of Colin's name, but no one had expected that the noble prince would appear here.
Isn't he overseas?
That Kao Continent.
Of course, after the previous great storm incident, the name seemed to have changed back to Janna Continent, because a lizardman country called the United Kingdom of Gutaf preferred this new name.
Just when everyone was undecided, a powerful voice suddenly came from the entrance of the camp.
"Are you Colin?"
Luo Yan looked in the direction of the voice and saw a dwarf wearing heavy armor and with his beard braided into several braids, striding towards him.
Unlike the hell dwarves who shaved their heads, this guy had quite thick hair, and the two eyes hanging above his beard were as big as copper bells.
Luo Yan looked at him and spoke stiffly.
"I'm Colin... May I ask who you are?"
"Quentin Copperhearth!"
The dwarf walked up to him, pounded his chest with his gauntlet, and said in a voice as resounding as a bell, "I am the Lord of the Mountain Kingdom! By order of our king, I have come to support the Northern Rescue Army in suppressing the rebellion in the Dusk Province and exterminating the Apostles of Chaos!"
"Nice to meet you, Lord of the Mountain Kingdom."
Luo Yan immediately performed the standard etiquette of an imperial noble, and Quetin responded with the etiquette of a noble of the Dwarf Kingdom.
Although the two met for the first time, they both felt the calmness of a strong man and the heavy family tree behind him.
Although he didn't often interact with human nobles, Quentin could tell that Mr. Colin was a true imperial noble.
Anyway, he is very confident.
"Irene is in the camp... Please follow me, I will take you to see her." Quentin turned his barrel-like body sideways and made an awkward gesture of invitation.
Although Luo Yan knew that Irene was not here, he pretended not to know and followed him into the command tent not far away.
The command tent was empty, with only a brazier, a table, and a military map spread out on the table.
As soon as he entered the tent, Quentin dismissed his attendants. Without waiting for Colin to ask, a trace of solemnity appeared on his carefree face.
"Mr. Colin, with all due respect, you've arrived at a bad time."
Luo Yan was stunned.
"What's the meaning……"
Quentin said in a deep voice.
"Her Highness Irene... is missing."
"Missing?! How could that happen!" Luo Yan widened his eyes, his eyes full of disbelief, as if it were a bolt from the blue.
"During the day, she was in the final battle with the Chosen One of Chaos... In order not to affect the morale of the army, we blocked the news. I hope you can keep it secret." Quentin looked at him.
From the anxiety that came from the heart, he could sense that this man was not lying. He was indeed a friend of Her Highness Irene, and their relationship was not shallow.
Before this, he had heard Irene mention Prince Colin more than once. He was said to be a very noble and kind gentleman, a model and example of morality.
Now that I see him, this gentleman is indeed a handsome man.
only……
Irene's disappearance had such a huge impact on him that he stood there for a long time, unable to come back to his senses.
After a while, a hoarse and trembling voice came out from the tightly closed lips.
That's trembling with anger!
"You guys...are you just going to leave her like this?"
"How is that possible?"
Quentin sighed and whispered, "Ms. Theresa has taken her confidants to look for her, but they haven't returned yet—"
"No! I'll go find her too!"
After saying that, Luo Yan turned around and was about to leave, with an anxious expression on his face, as if he didn't want to stay here any longer.
Seeing Colin turning around to leave, Quentin was startled and quickly reached out to pull the guy's arm, urging him to put the overall situation first.
What would happen if this news got out?
Not to mention that Irene is missing, even if she is dead, the coalition forces must remain silent, at least until they capture Dusk City before announcing the death.
"Wait a moment--"
"I can't wait!"
"No! Listen to me, you have to stay here! Believe me, young man, if Irene were here, she would definitely advise you the same!"
"I came all the way from Janna just to help her! If she's gone, what's the point of me coming here? Let go!"
"I will not let go until you have heard what I have to say! Not only are you a prince of the Empire, but even if you are the Emperor himself, it will be useless!"
If he didn't use the magician's BUFF and relied solely on physical strength, Luo Yan really wouldn't be able to pull this dwarf who was as heavy as a mountain.
Even if this hairy braised egg is only platinum grade.
But he didn't intend to win the argument, he just acted as if he was determined to leave... Let them pull if they want, Irene will be here soon anyway.
He calculated the time before coming.
Quentin Tonglue grimaced and squeezed his arm tightly, but he didn't dare to use too much force, as he really crippled the guy.
But then again, isn't this prince a magician?
Where does such great energy come from? !
Just as the two were "arguing", the heavy curtain at the door of the tent was suddenly pulled open by someone from the outside.
Irene and Theresa's faces appeared at the door at the same time, and both of their originally heavy faces showed expressions of disbelief.
"Colin?!"
"Your Highness, Your Highness?!"
At this moment, Irene was wearing a large cloak and following the tired-looking Theresa, with the hood pulled down to cover her face.
Those emerald green eyes were filled with surprise and disbelief at the long-awaited reunion, but besides that, there was also subconscious panic and a desire to escape.
“Irene—!”
Surprise flashed in Luo Yan's eyes, and he was about to rush to Irene's side. However, the big hand holding his arm did not loosen, but instead clamped it tighter like a vise.
"Boy...don't be impulsive. That's not your little lover. Stand behind me!"
Quentin's voice deepened as he pulled the young human prince behind him, his torch-like eyes staring directly into Irene's face.
Irene didn't dodge, but calmly responded to the hostile gaze, waiting for her ally to speak.
Luo Yan could see that she was not as calm as she appeared to be. The shaking of her shoulders revealed her uneasiness.
And this may be because of myself.
The silence lasted for a long time.
Quentin suddenly sneered, breaking the silence between the two.
"If we dwarves were to be asked what we hate most besides the rats in the mines, the undead would probably be number one, followed by demons. And as luck would have it, I saw a combination of both."
After a pause, he stared at Irene and continued.
"The Lord of the Mountain Kingdom demands an explanation."
Theresa moved her lips, wanting to say something on behalf of her lord, but was stopped by Irene.
She took a step forward, looked at the dwarf lord who was facing a great enemy, and spoke in a hoarse but sincere voice.
"I'd like to give you an explanation, but honestly, I'm completely confused myself. I don't understand why I ended up like this. After I awakened the legendary power, I lost consciousness... and when I woke up, I was in a cave."
She swallowed and spoke with difficulty.
"I don't even know... if Rolandal is dead."
As she spoke, Irene unconsciously glanced at Colin behind Quentin, as if that was her only weakness.
To be honest, that expression of wanting to explain but not knowing where to start is really heartbreaking.
She almost pleaded, hoping that no matter what Quentin saw, she would not discuss her current situation in front of her beloved.
At least change the place.
However, dwarves don't understand the concept of being gentle and considerate, and they don't have any so-called emotional intelligence... At least these things are not prepared for humans.
Vampires are the mortal enemies of dwarves.
It's not just because they believe in the evil demon god, but also because these raw meat-eating and blood-drinking guys dared to laugh at the dwarves for not having necks and not being able to bite them!
This is blatant slander!
Everyone knows that dwarves have necks!
This slander was recorded on the first page of the Book of Hatred, and every Dwarf Lord in the Mountain Kingdom remembered it!
As for the second page, it says the guy who laughed out loud when he saw the first page.
"Yeah?"
Quentin chuckled, his eyes narrowed dangerously, and he bluntly exposed the fact that Erin was desperately trying to hide.
"Do you think I would believe a vampire? You vampire! My nose is very smart, you can't hide it from me!"
He saw it at a glance!
The air suddenly became quiet.
Theresa remained silent, while Irene closed her eyes in pain, hiding her sadness behind her drooping eyelashes and hood.
She was powerless to defend herself.
This is a fact.
From Colin's perspective, perhaps Luo Yan should have acted more realistically, or at least shown a certain degree of shock.
For example, exclaiming "Vampire?!"
However, looking at that pretty face that seemed to be about to cry but was trying hard to be strong, he really couldn't bear to perform according to the already arranged script, so he changed to improvisation.
He is still a human being after all.
I agreed that I was here to comfort her.
"I think... there might be some misunderstanding here." Luo Yan, who was standing behind Quentin, suddenly spoke, breaking the silent atmosphere in the tent.
The previous panic disappeared from that handsome face, replaced by a sophistication and calmness that was inconsistent with his age. He looked like a completely different person in front of Quentin.
Quentin stared at him with eyes as big as copper bells, almost bulging out, but he only dared to look at him for a moment, and then turned his gaze back to Irene.
He dared not take it lightly for a moment!
Even though his neck was only a short piece.
"Are you crazy?! That's a vampire! A blood clan! A biting mosquito! A devil who eats people without leaving any bones——"
Those vicious curses were like nails, driving hard into Irene's chest, attacking the most vulnerable part of her heart.
Looking at that sad face, even if Irene could still hold back, Luo Yan didn't want to wait any longer.
After all, they are still Colin's "family members".
Is it your turn as a dwarf on the Peak of Hatred to gossip?
"Shut up."
The air suddenly became quiet, as if an invisible hand had grabbed the throat, and even a needle falling to the ground could be heard clearly.
That's Dragon Language—
It's also magic!
Just two syllables put a pause on the noisy sound.
Quentin's face, flushed with anger, froze instantly. He opened his mouth but no sound came out. Only annoyance and confusion remained in his eyes.
'Do you know what you are doing?'
Staring at Colin intently, he seemed to be saying this with his eyes.
Luo Yan can "hear" with his eyes.
But he is also a prince with a temper, and whether to pay attention to him or not is another matter.
"You've been holding my arm for so long, it's only fair that I tell you to shut up for a while." Pulling his arm out of Quentin's grasp, Luo Yan gently waved his wand, removing the spell on Quentin's chin. "Are you calm now?"
Quentin stared like an angry bullfrog.
He still didn't say anything, but he glared at everyone with murderous eyes, as if he wanted to carve every single person here in the book of hatred.
I can shut him up with just one word...
This prince's strength is probably more important than his temperament.
Luo Yan did not object to him doing this. After all, hatred was actually a kind of belief, but now he still had to calm down the dwarf lord.
"Colin, I..."
"Don't talk yet."
Luo Yan glanced at Irene who opened her mouth to say something, gave her a reassuring look who looked confused and helpless, and then looked at Quentin Tonglu who was puffing his beard and glaring.
"I'm not sure what happened during the day, but I know that what our enemies want most right now is for us to fall into internal strife."
There is nothing wrong with this sentence.
As if realizing this, Quentin's chest gradually calmed down, but the burning anger and hostility did not subside.
"What if she's Chaos?"
Luo Yan looked at him and answered without joking.
"If so, you're dead."
Quentin's eyes narrowed and he sneered.
"Just her? A vampire? My axe kills those half-humans—"
Luo Yan interrupted him and spoke softly.
"What if I'm included?"
The tent became quiet again.
But this time it was not because of any magic, but because of the rebellious - even blasphemous - declaration of the Imperial Prince.
Except for Luo Yan himself, the other three faces showed surprised expressions, including Irene who looked sad.
Among them, Quentin's expression was still the most exaggerated. His wide-open eyes seemed to be asking, "Are you crazy?"
Point your wand at your dwarven friend for an undead!
Are you crazy?!
No matter how fickle and forgetful humans are, they wouldn't throw away their brains, right?
"Do you know what you're saying? The Inquisition will judge you! They'll hang you, and you'll lose all your titles! No matter who you are!"
Although Theresa didn't say anything, the shocked expression on her face said everything she wanted to say.
Even if he is a prince of the empire...
This is too reckless!
"Then let them come. I will testify for her and convince them, using the exact words from the Book of the Word—I will forgive sins committed out of ignorance, for mortal life is too short, and getting lost is not their intention."
Those are indeed the original words from the Book of the Holy Word, and are not in the New Testament fabricated by the Son of God.
Faced with the terrifying threat, Luo Yan's face did not waver in the slightest. He just smiled and looked at the panicked Quentin Tonglu.
as well as--
Those eyes were filled with mist, like tender leaves covered with morning dew.
"I believe in the character of Irene Campbell, her piety, her loyalty, her bravery, her generosity, her kindness... all the good qualities that made her tick."
"At the same time, I unconditionally believe every word she says. It was definitely not her intention for things to develop like this. In fact... perhaps all this is God's will!"
Those resounding words were filled with unquestionable firmness, as if His Royal Highness the Prince standing here had truly heard the oracle from the unknown.
In fact, it can’t be considered “as if”.
After all, no one said that the god could not be himself.
"Whether she is human or vampire—"
"I will stand with her!"
(End of this chapter)
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