vncnus Page 282
Page 282
"You must understand, the kingdom's guiding star and the newly born hero are the two trump cards of the kingdom that pose the greatest threat to us... And now we have paid a heavy price, but we have also made them reveal their respective trump cards."
"And things haven't been completely different on our side either: in a short period of time, Fim, Migo, and Swell have all made significant leaps in strength, and the Demon Sword has also received a full period of sword skill nurturing."
And you, as a fallen and reborn demon, this defeat is also ample nourishment for you.
Between the desks, Svir nodded to himself. Kletina's words were enough to calm the restlessness in the hearts of these demons. Behind this was the weight of the First Secretary and the confidence of the Demon King of Time.
Only she could stabilize morale after a failed interrogation, and she's become increasingly adept at it over the past six months...
Freer's fingers trembled slightly. Klettina's gentle words made him feel much better, but he still couldn't accept it:
"But... but in that case, wouldn't only the Nightmare Mirror and Astrid be injured?"
"Lady Kletina, we must find a way to save her!"
“No, we can’t save Astrid.” Unexpectedly, Kletina’s tone suddenly became extremely indifferent.
"what?"
"I agree with that, Lord Freer," the demon strategist Swell chimed in.
"Please calm down. The capital city is basically the biggest trap set for us. Even if all the demons were to come out, they would not be able to gain any advantage on human territory."
"The existence of the Hero of Calamity has become an insurmountable barrier, not to mention that during this period, the Kingdom's Morning Star has disappeared from the kingdom, and is probably secretly plotting against us."
"If we forcefully attempt to rescue Lady Astrid, I'm afraid they wouldn't mind leaving us all there—"
Freer's throat bobbed violently. He knew that what Swell said was true, but how could he remain calm as he watched his companion, who had been captured by humans in his place, suffer inhuman torture day and night in the human palace?
He wanted to struggle a little longer, but Swell's casual remark extinguished his spirits like cold water.
"—Lord Freer, do you want all the sacrifices Lady Astrid made for you to be in vain?"
“…I understand, strategist,” Freer said with a gloomy expression.
A dark halo trembled above his head. He looked up, tears of self-reproach welling in his eyes.
"It's my fault for ruining Astrid! I owe her... so much!"
"I can't even imagine what kind of blasphemous acts that despicable human king would commit against Astrid! He'd definitely put @#@￥的@%￥@ into #@%#%的#%% and then do %#%@#!!!"
As a demon of "blasphemy" and "corruption," Freer and Astrid had a fairly good relationship, and Freer had even read fanfiction about Astrid when she was still young.
But right now, Freer feels that Astrid's fanfiction is clearly a curse that is about to fall on her!
“Lord Freer,” Swell said, somewhat speechless.
"It's not that exaggerated. A great demon is still extremely valuable to the Kingdom of Kur... just like the Mino Warrior is to us. At least for the short term, Lady Astrid will not be in any danger."
Freer raised his head, suddenly remembering something, and looked hopefully at Swell:
"My lord, you wield the power of 'knowledge,' so you should be able to bypass human defenses and extract intelligence. Can you sense... how Astrid is doing now?"
Clutching his heart, Freer was eager to know.
As long as he didn't understand Astrid's situation, his self-blame and guilt would not be relieved.
"Ever since the day you returned, I've been extending the tentacles of my authority into the capital..."
Swell shook his head: "But only knowledge that has been initially formed within the capital can be clearly acquired by me."
"Right now, the only thing that's clear is the palace's official announcement that the virtual singer's queen has been chosen. It's a counter-trap set by Ota specifically for us—that king is indeed a cold-blooded monarch, even deceiving his own best friend!"
Klaitina interjected:
"No matter what, this time, Astrid has made a great contribution to the demon race."
"Without her, we would have completely lost Freer. The fall of a fourth demon official would likely boost the morale of the human army, and they might even launch a direct attack on our second line of defense."
"It was she who protected us."
Recalling Astrid's timid and cowardly nature, and her heroic figure who stood up without hesitation in the most dangerous moment, the great demons present were all moved to tears.
Astrid is the true role model for the demon race!
Chapter 406 New Knowledge - Princess Kur!
"Although this cannot console Astrid for the suffering that follows."
Kleiner tapped her long, slender fingers on the table, quickly making a decision:
"But Astrid's years of lying low and enduring in the human kingdoms, the valuable intelligence she provided to us despite being met with cold stares and skepticism, and her noble character of sacrificing herself to save Freer this time—are enough to make the history books of the Demon King's Castle unfold for her and to etch her name into the history of the Demon Realm."
The history of the demon race is far more complete and longer than that of humans, yet it is as thin as a single page:
The birth and fall of each Demon King is a mark, bearing only the name of the Demon King and a few names of Demon Officials. Without exception, these demons are accompanied by great deeds that have influenced the entire continent's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing overall situation, structure, and overall dynamics).
To conquer, or to be conquered.
For countless demons, even leaving their name in the demon history books is an immense honor, let alone having their life's achievements engraved on them.
Demons are a collection of desires, influenced by humans, and the desire to be remembered in history is something that no demon can resist.
Among the great demons present, more or less, there is a desire to leave one's true name in history, only differing in degree.
Now, the one who has achieved this great goal for the first time is the corrupt demon, Astrid, who has always been timid but has shown unparalleled loyalty and selflessness.
The demons present showed no protest or envy, only deep admiration and blessings.
—A tribute to our most loyal demon!
“Svir,” Kleinna called softly.
The Book Demon immediately understood, and it obediently floated into Kletina's palm. The page turned to a blank page, and then a deep, dark black enveloped the book. An invisible aura was drawn to all parts of the Demon King's castle, and the entire castle seemed to come alive, shaking off some dust.
Swell's body became transparent and ethereal, yet it exuded a solid and ancient aura.
It knew that Kletina was merely using its book demon nature to incite the descent of the demon history books and write a new chapter that belonged only to Astrid.
This is a power that only the scribes of the Demon King's Castle have ever possessed, and it is also the first time in a thousand years that the Demon King's Castle has compiled its history!
Astrid's contribution was so great and unprecedented in a thousand years; it was the first ray of hope that burst forth in the long night of fighting against humanity.
"Astrid, the demon of sacrifice."
After a long silence, Kletina slowly closed the book: "This is the new title I've given her. You all have no objections, right?"
The demons shook their heads, even feeling that this was tailor-made for Astrid.
She sacrificed everything, even herself, to bring fortune and glory to the demon race—the Emerald Gate.
A faint smile finally appeared on Kletina's lips, offering a slight solace to her forlorn gaze.
"At least, Astrid's name is recorded in the history books of the demon race."
"We may not be able to save her yet, but her spirit will forever remain with us and with the demons—"
Without much communication, all the demons present lowered their heads at that moment.
We offer our deepest condolences to that compatriot who fell into human hands…
The mourning did not last long.
The next moment, Swell's book pages began to shake violently:
"Yes, new knowledge. I've intercepted newly emerging knowledge in the capital, and it concerns Lady Astrid?!"
"But—how could this be?!" Swell's pages trembled slightly, the newly acquired knowledge nearly shaking the worldview of this book demon!
Swallowing hard, Swell said with some difficulty:
"Lady Kletina, the name of Lady Astrid may remain... not only in the history books of the demon race."
"What are you talking about, Svir?" Kleinna was taken aback, somewhat puzzled.
"Swell, tell me quickly, how is Astrid?" Freer urged, sounding somewhat anxious.
The demons, their gazes a mixture of confusion and worry, all turned toward the trembling Svir.
The words on the pages solidified at that moment, and Swell knew it was no misunderstanding. His voice was low and filled with astonishment as he poured out the "knowledge" that had spread throughout the entire capital and even the kingdom:
"Your Highness Astrid will become the new Queen of the Kingdom of Kur!"
……
……
……
"Wang Fei? Great Scholar Astrid?"
A large crowd gathered at the foot of the newly posted notice board.
"Is she that famous scholar? Come to think of it... I occasionally see her in the library; she's a woman who seems harmless."
Although Astrids stayed home as much as possible in the capital, her fame in academic circles and the resulting wider exposure meant that the people of the capital were still familiar with her name.
"Show some manners! Didn't you see? Scholar Astrid has secretly helped the kingdom overcome many difficulties on numerous occasions!"
"Whether it's her academic achievements or her contributions to the kingdom, she deserves the respect of all the people!"
"Yes, yes, I'm just a little curious, why..."
After the roundtable livestream and the concert, the citizens of the capital city are noticeably more sensitive to the newly issued government decrees.
Especially in the period shortly after the demons' attack, large numbers of the capital's residents gathered on various notice boards, carefully pondering the will emanating from the depths of the palace.
"The position of the King's Gate has not been established for a long time. Prince Ota is indeed a great king, possessing the courage that no king in history has ever had."
"What is Wang Fei... This is the first time I've seen him. I see. He seems to have even more prestige than noble ministers."
The announcement also explained the meaning of the position of the King's Gate in detail, so the people, along with the discussions of those around them, did not quite understand it.
Alright, now Astrid's name is known to all, Wang Fei's connotations are clear, and the message of the announcement is also easy to understand: this great scholar should be given a position commensurate with her contributions and character.
Everything is clear.
But soon, amidst the bustling crowds, the same question arose simultaneously...
Why was this announcement issued at this particular time?
The citizens of the capital are always more sensitive to government orders. For example, the recent policy of raising the purchase price of grain in the kingdom was to subsidize farmers who suffered losses in the famine; the earlier unified requisition of iron mines and blacksmiths was to repair the civilian areas that were razed to the ground on the night of the Pope's fall, and to fill the large gaps in weapons.
The content of the decree is not important; what matters is the significance behind its release. There's a lot to learn about that... after all, it will become a topic of conversation in the capital.
Among the crowd, a quick-witted bard pondered the meaning of "Astrid Scholar" and "Royal Gate" and thought about the turmoil that had arisen recently due to the appointment of a queen.