Chapter 00029: Just a Book
# Just a Book
Chapter 29
Novel: AFK Game: Portal to Another World
Chapter 29: Just a Book
The Avarus Demon Kingdom was one of the rare nations untouched by religion.
This was mainly because the royal family believed that all demons should worship only one god—and that was the Demon God.
Any other deities were false gods, heretics that should not be revered.
But the Demon God had never shown any miracles in the past.
His very existence was the stuff of legend.
So the royals of the Avarus Demon Kingdom had issued a decree banning all forms of religious worship.
In principle, Count Leon wasn’t wrong—what Princess Viola was doing was blatantly going against state policy.
But in reality, there was no longer even any certainty that the Avarus Demon Kingdom still existed, let alone any talk of official policies.
Count Leon’s sudden appearance now was a way to subtly jab at Viola.
The unspoken meaning: if you want to preach, then you’ll have to change the national policy first.
And before you can do that, you’ll need to reclaim the lands that were lost.
So hurry up and leave.
And don’t come back.
Viola had grown up in the royal palace and was well-versed in the schemes and subtleties of noble speech.
Even though she clearly understood Count Leon’s meaning, she acted oblivious, replying:
“Count Leon, as a member of the royal family, I can say with full responsibility that while our country does prohibit the spread of any religious beliefs, the worship of the Lord Demon God is the sole exception.”
“But…”
Count Leon pointed to the commoners standing behind him.
“You’ve gathered too many of these lowborn people. It’s dangerous. I know better than anyone what happens when the rabble gathers—they get restless. And if anything were to happen to you, I wouldn’t be able to explain myself.”
It sounded like concern, but the implication was clear—our family has ruled this land for generations.
I know these common folks better than you.
Don’t come here and stir up trouble, you foreign princess.
Viola continued to play the fool.
“Count Leon, you should put more trust in them. Believe in the strength of the people. After all, a nation is made up of its people. As nobles, we must set the example and lead the people toward a better life.”
“Yes, Your Highness, you are absolutely right.”
At this point, Count Leon could only agree, even if only for appearances’ sake.
“Your Highness, I think you should…”
Before he could finish, there was a soft “pa” sound, as if something had fallen.
Count Leon looked down and saw a book lying on the ground.
In that moment, his pupils contracted, and all the blood in his body felt like it froze.
“Count Leon? What is that?”
Count Leon forced himself to stay calm, bending down in an attempt to appear composed as he picked the book up.
“Nothing… Just a book I happened to have on me.”
“Oh? Just a book, is it?”
Viola looked at him with a smile that was both amused and unreadable.
Count Leon felt as if his skull were about to split open.
“Apologies, Princess. It must be the heat—I’m not feeling well. I think I’ll return for now.”
“Not feeling well? Then do take care of yourself, Count Leon. If the doctors can’t help, you may come to me. I can use the divine arts granted to me by the Lord Demon God to heal you.”
“Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”
Count Leon gave another bow, though this time, his hand was visibly trembling.
Then he turned and quickly left without looking back, taking his men with him.
Viola couldn’t help but think of a dog fleeing with its tail between its legs.
Shelly, one of the Royal Guard knights, quietly stepped up to Viola’s side:
"Your Highness, is it really alright to just let him go like that?"
“It’s fine. One ledger alone isn’t enough to condemn him. If I used it to take him down, the locals would think I was just looking for an excuse to eliminate him. That would only hurt the spread of faith in the Lord.”
That morning, during prayer, the Demon God had sent her a book—a ledger.
It clearly recorded how Count Leon and his entire family had embezzled tax and relief funds.
It also included ample proof that he’d been selling contraband goods to merchants from rival nations.
If the Avarus Demon Kingdom still existed, this ledger alone would’ve been enough for Viola to dig up Count Leon’s ancestral graves.
But now, all she had was the Leon Territory—her last remaining land.
She had to act cautiously.
Because the soldiers brought by the count began driving people away, some of the crowd had already dispersed.
As the numbers thinned, Viola noticed four figures still standing in place.
Three tall and one short, all cloaked in thick fur mantles, covering themselves from head to toe.
The sight put everyone on edge.
Nearby Royal Guards placed their hands on their weapons.
“Wait, don’t act rashly.”
Viola gestured to the guards to relax, then waved at the four cloaked individuals.
“You all—are you from the Distant Forest?”
The four looked at each other.
The one who appeared to be the leader slowly pulled down their hood, revealing dark green hair and a pair of sharp, pointed ears.
——
Tree Elves had a wide territory.
Wherever there were ancient forests, there were traces of their presence.
Viola had heard of them, but this was the first time she’d seen them in person.
Leaving a few people behind to continue preaching, the rest moved into one of the castle’s conference rooms.
As soon as they stepped in, the tree elves hurriedly threw off their cloaks and drank down nearly half a jug of water each.
Tree Elves, having spent generations in isolation, had lost all sense of the outside world.
Living in evergreen forests where it felt like eternal spring, they had no real idea what April weather meant.
Thinking it was still cold outside, they’d come out in thick furs—only to nearly die of heatstroke.
“You must be Her Highness, the Princess? The Demon God sent us here. I’m Zhuoya. Behind me are the Druids from our forest—Simo and Al—and the one clinging to my arm is my younger sister, Lia.”
Most Tree Elves had never even spoken to outsiders.
Zhuoya’s voice trembled, but her fluent speech was already considered impressive.
The two druids didn’t dare utter a word, merely nodding repeatedly.
Lia, however, was naturally cheerful and immediately beamed a smile that was too sweet to be real.
“Greetings, Your Highness!”
They looked young, but Viola knew that even the youngest of these elven visitors was probably at least twice her age.
Elves lived up to 500 years.
They reached adulthood around the age of 100, and once grown, they didn’t age.
“Welcome. The Lord told me some Tree Elf friends would be visiting, but I wasn’t exactly sure why you’d be willing to reveal yourselves.”
The term “Lord” was used for emperors or monarchs, and the Demon God’s full title was “the Demon King of Demon Kings,” hence Viola used this title to show reverence.
Tree Elves, having lived sheltered lives, didn’t know this nuance, but Zhuoya caught on quickly and responded fluidly:
“Not long ago, the Lord helped us resolve a major issue.”
She gave a rough summary of the events, expressing a flood of gratitude along the way.
“There are no followers of the Lord in our land. We communicate with Him through this.”
Zhuoya pointed to the pigeon perched on her shoulder.
Only then did Viola notice that its leg bore the Holy Emblem of the Demon God.
“Because relaying messages through it is quite inconvenient, the Lord instructed us to come to the city and speak with you directly.”
“Yes, the Lord did mention you to me. Perfect timing—I have something I’d like your help with.”
Viola snapped her fingers, and a Royal Guard beside her brought in a large burlap sack, which she unfastened and displayed for the Tree Elves to see.
“What’s this?”
“A mysterious tuber. The Lord calls it a potato.”
(End of Chapter)