Chapter 340
Chapter 340
Chapter 340
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 340 – Huperion’s Days of Peace
In the lounge of Count Nelson Milford’s mansion, the flames in the fireplace leapt and danced, casting a warm reddish glow along the edges of the velvet sofas and chairs. The crackle of firewood added a touch of life to the otherwise quiet room, providing much-needed warmth for the lofty interior.
Huperion sat with her hands resting on her knees, her gaze distant, as though lost in deep thought.
“May I ask, why did the Son of Annihilation leave the Northwestern Province so suddenly?”
She turned to Count Milford with her question.
Although she trusted the Count’s intelligence network, she still worried that this might all be a trap.
“It seems something has happened in the northern frontier. Bishop of Annihilation Askson has recalled him to the far north.”
Count Milford stroked his beard, looking puzzled. Just what kind of trouble in the north could be so grave that the Bishop of Annihilation would have to summon even the Son of Annihilation away?
It almost felt as though someone had deliberately drawn away all the firepower and danger surrounding Huperion.
The Count was quite certain that the Son of Annihilation had already boarded the arcane railway, arrived at the northern fortress in the Box Mountain Province, and was now traveling further north.
“If the Son of Annihilation cannot wrap up his task quickly, he may not return within seven days. But even if he does come back in the next few days, I’ll make sure to plan a route to the capital Helrom that avoids him entirely.”
Count Milford added this reassurance.
He could sense that this young priestess bore an unbearably heavy mission. If she could get some rest—even for just a short while—he would rather she not have to shoulder any more burdens.
“Phew…”
Upon hearing this, Huperion finally relaxed. The tension that had gripped her chest eased so suddenly that she felt lightheaded, as though her heart could not quite settle back to the ground.
“Praise the Goddess. Please continue to bless Lady Huperion.”
The three clergy members prayed devoutly. To them, this was nothing short of a miracle—a divine sign from the Goddess.
After all, to be chosen as the favored disciple of the Church’s future Saint, and to be the spiritual companion of Lan Qi Wilfort himself, could only mean that she was the daughter of destiny, blessed by the Goddess of Fate.
The next Saint of the Church must surely be this Huperion.
“Enough… luck like this doesn’t strike twice. Helrom won’t open its doors wide just for me.”
Huperion shook her head repeatedly. Sometimes, luck that is too good is frightening.
A person’s fortune is finite. The one who uses it up first will leave first. Ever since she met Lan Qi, her luck had turned for the better—and now, even after parting ways with him, her fortune seemed to grow absurdly good.
Lan Qi sacrificed merit to gain fortune—he had nothing to fear. But she… she was afraid.
As the conversation drew to a close,
Count Milford rose with the help of his cane and glanced toward the lounge door.
“In any case, you’ve all had a long journey. Rest well. Lady Huperion, your room is on the second floor. I’ll have one of the household staff take you there shortly. Mishula has heard that you’re coming, and I suspect she’s already waiting nearby.”
He turned to the Church clergy accompanying her as he spoke.
When he mentioned his daughter’s name, his tone betrayed a trace of helplessness.
“It’s all right. I am Mishula’s cousin now. Once we reach the capital, I will treat her as a younger sister and take care of her. You may rest easy, my lord.”
Huperion stood and bowed again in thanks to Count Milford, their faithful ally.
“Thank you, Lady Huperion.”
The Count inclined his head slightly, dispelled the soundproofing spell by touching the bronze lamp, and left the lounge with the others.
When the door opened, a figure could be seen waiting at the far end of the corridor—a woman in a deep blue uniform, her silver buttons gleaming.
She gave them a polite bow.
Noticing her, Count Milford turned back to Huperion. “Perfect timing. This is the steward who looks after Mishula. She will take you to your room.”
Huperion nodded, exchanged a few brief parting words with the Count and the priests, and walked toward the steward.
The steward bowed slightly and spoke with respectful formality: “Please follow me, Lady Miriam.”
…
The corridor was lined with wall lamps that cast a gentle yellow glow, illuminating the stone walls and giving them an air of history. At intervals stood dark wooden doors of varying designs, faint lines of light seeping from the gaps beneath some of them.
The steward walked ahead with measured, steady steps, neither hurried nor slow, allowing Huperion to follow comfortably.
At last, they ascended the staircase and reached the spacious end of the second-floor corridor, where a slender figure stood waiting.
Her posture was graceful, her skin pale as snow. Her long golden hair was neatly braided into an elegant bun, adorned with two crystal ornaments. Her hands, gloved in sheer white, were folded demurely before her.
As Huperion drew closer, the girl looked toward her.
Their gazes met, and Huperion noticed that the girl’s bright eyes had slightly vertical pupils and her ears were a little longer than usual.
Huperion was well familiar with such features.
This must be Count Milford’s daughter, Mishula. She likely had a trace of demonic blood—no more than one-eighth, or perhaps as little as one-sixteenth. Her traits were far less pronounced than Huperion’s true half-demon form, which she kept concealed.
In the Protos Empire, people with a trace of demonic heritage were not uncommon.
Such bloodlines did grant greater magical talent than the average human, but also sometimes came with dangerous extremes of temperament.
And in an empire where demons were despised, it could make them more and more isolated from others.
The girl waited quietly until Huperion came closer, saying nothing.
“Miss Mishula, I’m Miriam. I’ll be staying here starting today.”
Huperion introduced herself with friendly politeness.
Mishula looked her up and down with her clear, cold eyes.
“So you are my elder sister?”
She seemed a little disappointed, turning her gaze away with a hint of aloofness.
“—!”
Huperion’s heart gave a jolt.
This feeling was so familiar. It reminded her of her home back in Ikerite.
After her father disappeared, those who once looked down on her but dared not show it became brazen, treating her with open malice. It was then that she learned just how fickle and cruel hearts could be.
Since arriving in the Northern Continent, this was the first person she had met who wasn’t immediately friendly toward her.
“Follow me.”
Mishula said coldly, then turned on her heel and walked into Huperion’s room. She seemed to have already been inside the guest room that Huperion was to occupy.
“…”
Huperion said nothing, braced herself, and followed.
She had promised Count Milford to look after Mishula.
Even if Mishula was willful, she would be patient with her.
She had learned to endure long ago, back in Ikerite.
The guest room was elegant and lavish like the lounge, with a large bed in the center draped with silk patterned in ancient Imperial designs. Along one wall was a spacious desk built into a cabinet, with a cushioned chair and several household Magitek devices neatly arranged on top.
Just then, Mishula’s voice sounded again.
“You’re so beautiful—don’t let others look down on our Milford family. A Count’s daughter should carry herself like one.”
Her tone was still serious, her face devoid of any smile.
On the sofa behind her were several brand-new boxes, likely containing winter clothing and jewelry from Milford’s own jewelry shop.
“These… are for me?”
Huperion pointed at the gifts, her lips slightly parted in surprise.
“I didn’t buy much—I wasn’t sure if you’d like them.”
Seeing Huperion’s hesitant expression, Mishula nodded in confirmation.
“Thank you, Mishula…”
A mix of surprise and gratitude welled up inside Huperion.
For the first time, she saw the resemblance between Mishula and Count Milford.
“In our house, you must follow the rules. If you think any are unfair, you can speak up and we’ll discuss them as a family.”
Seeing that Huperion was no longer so tense, Mishula continued.
“All right.”
Huperion listened patiently as Mishula lectured her in an oddly reasonable tone.
“We have dinner at six o’clock sharp. Don’t be late, or Father, Mother, and I will all wait until you arrive before we start eating.”
Mishula continued laying out the house rules.
“…Understood.”
Huperion thought for a moment—it turned out that being late would make everyone wait for her.
“And one more thing—we don’t tolerate discrimination against those with demon blood. Not against the servants, not against my mother, and not against me.”
After saying this, Mishula nodded slightly, as if to indicate there were no other rules.
“I understand.”
Huperion nodded back.
She had no reason to discriminate against demons anyway—and the Milford family’s rules were far fewer than she had expected.
Thanks to the advanced demonic spell [Transformation: Human] she had acquired with Lan Qi in the Purgatory Corridor Academy, even the Empire could not detect her half-demon identity. But here in the Protos Empire, concealing one’s race was a capital crime.
Thus, she could not tell Mishula the truth about her heritage. In Mishula’s eyes, she was simply a pure human.
Seeing Huperion answer so decisively, Mishula turned her gaze away again.
“Good thing you’re only staying for a week.”
Her brows furrowed slightly as she muttered this under her breath.
“…”
The warmth that had just filled Huperion’s heart cooled by half.
Indeed, to Mishula, she was an outsider who had suddenly intruded into their lives.
Yet Mishula glanced around the room once more.
“This room is too small. Father, honestly—how could he give you a guest room? …Well, it’s only for a week. Just bear with it.”
She sounded faintly resentful of her father’s arrangement.
“…”
Huperion felt her eyes sting.
Even when she was the Duke’s daughter back in Ikerite, she had never had such a kind younger sister.
Only here, in the Northern Continent—no longer a noble but merely a priestess—did she feel such warmth.
Mishula was a good child. Perhaps her father’s stern demeanor had simply made her own way of expressing herself awkward.
In any case, the Milford family were good people.
“When we get to the capital, don’t embarrass me.”
Mishula looked directly at Huperion’s slightly vulnerable expression.
“Mm.”
Huperion only answered softly this time.
“When someone picks a fight with you, you must fight back. If anyone dares bully you, just tell me.”
So “don’t embarrass me” actually meant “don’t let yourself be bullied.”
Huperion was starting to understand how to interpret Mishula’s words.
Though only a second-circle mage, Mishula clearly carried the confidence of a Count’s daughter at the Protos Academy.
This feeling of being looked after reminded Huperion of her early days at Ikerite Academy.
Back then, everyone was unfriendly to her—even hostile.
But there had been one person who had always protected her…
Would he do the same if he were at the Royal Magic Academy of Protos?
“…”
Huperion shook her head, ending her daydream.
“Don’t worry, Mishula. I’m strong now.”
She grinned with confidence.
She had trained for a full semester with Lan Qi, then under Talia’s tutelage, and endured more than a month of intensive training with the Ice Witch. She was no longer the bullied girl she once was.
“That’s good to hear. If someone needs a lesson, just give it to them. Our family can pay for the damages—don’t be afraid of troubling Father.”
Mishula nodded approvingly.
She might not be good at expressing herself, but she had a unique emotional intuition—she could feel that this elder sister of hers was a truly pure soul.
She feared that Huperion might suffer in the capital Helrom, a place of greed and cold-heartedness.
When the words were all said, silence fell between them.
Mishula’s face was as unreadable as ever, making it hard for Huperion to guess her mood or thoughts.
“By the way, Mishula—have you ever heard of someone named Rocky?”
Huperion asked tentatively.
She had been meaning to ask this for a long time.
She had planned to bring it up with Count Milford in private, as she didn’t want the other three clergymen to learn of Lan Qi’s presence or his assumed identity. Their fragile condition must not be worsened.
But since Mishula often visited Helrom, she might know something about the southern regions.
“Rocky? Never heard of him. What’s he like? Want me to help find him?”
Mishula arched a brow, asking bluntly.
Faced with Mishula’s icy yet oddly passionate response, Huperion waved her hands quickly.
“He’s a friend I’ve been separated from for a long time. Once we reach the capital, I’ll look for him myself.”
Just hearing Mishula’s reply was enough to set her mind at ease.
It seemed Lan Qi truly hadn’t become famous in the Northwestern Province—good.
Even though news from the north was blocked and communication between Helrom and the Northwestern Province was delayed, at least as of a month ago, Lan Qi hadn’t made a big name for himself in the capital or the south.
“No problem. I know people at the Helrom Broadcasting Company. We can always post a missing person notice if needed—we’ll find him for sure.”
Mishula might not know what kind of man her cousin longed for, but as long as he was in the Protos Empire, she would find him.
“I’ll have to see for myself if this man is worthy of you.”
From Huperion’s reaction, Mishula was sure this must be someone dear to her.
Any man hoping to marry the eldest daughter of House Milford must be accomplished, ambitious, and talented.
She would personally make sure her cousin’s suitor was up to standard.
“Mishula, I think you may be misunderstanding…”
Huperion could hardly read Mishula’s subtle expression.
But she could not sit here and recount all her memories with Lan Qi from the Southern Continent either.
Still—she didn’t know why—
Since arriving in the Northern Continent, everything and everyone she encountered had been so warm and beautiful.
She could only let out a breath, her heart at ease, and glance toward the far side of the spacious room.
Outside the window, the drizzle continued to fall, like the strings of time being plucked.
In this quiet, comfortable room, she gazed through the glass at the courtyard lights shining faintly through the misty rain.
An ordinary, simple view—yet it felt different now.
Everything was just right.
Her heart was filled with courage.
Even if Helrom was a place of uncertainty and peril, she felt strong enough to face it.
And she began to look forward—
—to the moment, after all of this is over,
when she would meet him again.
(End of Chapter)