Chapter 21 Royal Brothers
Chapter 21 Royal Brothers
I nodded in satisfaction and pulled my cloak over my shoulders again.
“What position do you hold in this city?”
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Count Fei Zhen answered nervously, “This lowly servant’s uncle is the Baron of this city. Through his patronage, I have obtained the position of Head Quartermaster.”
The position of Head Quartermaster must generate considerable profit. I rested my hand on Zi Yan’s shoulder and said calmly, “That position isn’t bad. I suppose you’ve accumulated quite a bit of wealth over the years.”
“I dare not… I dare not… This insignificant servant would never… I only hold the title of Head Quartermaster in name…”
I responded maliciously, “You dare not? Dare not what? You already dared to attack me just now. What is it that you dare not do? You even dared to insult my companion. Naturally, you will compensate me for the emotional distress you caused.”
I looked at him coldly.
“It’s inconvenient for me to carry gold coins, so bring me twenty gemstones of the highest grade. And as you know, members of the royal family are particularly skilled at appraising gems. We can easily distinguish authentic stones from counterfeits. If you dare attempt to deceive me, you had better be prepared to face my wrath.”
Count Fei Zhen looked miserable.
“Your Grace, please show mercy. This humble servant is not so wealthy. Instead of gemstones, perhaps I could offer a few beauties of the highest quality…”
I slammed my hand on the table.
“Hmph! You intend to offer me your leftovers?”
My voice turned cold.
“Enough nonsense. Do you have the gemstones or not? If you don’t, we can negotiate.”
I stared at him with a sinister smile.
“For every gemstone you fail to deliver, I will remove one arm. Two missing gems—both arms. Four missing gems—your four limbs. And if five are missing…”
My gaze slowly moved downward between his legs.
“If you wish to remain in one piece, do exactly as I say. Now get out of my sight. If I do not receive them by noon tomorrow, I will personally visit your mansion to collect my payment.”
Realizing he had no room to negotiate, Count Fei Zhen lay flat on the floor and rolled toward the door in humiliation, his subordinates following in the same manner.
Suddenly a thought crossed my mind.
“Wait.”
Count Fei Zhen stopped rolling about three meters away and hurriedly knelt down.
“Is… is there anything else, my lord?”
I glared at him.
“I am here on a special mission from His Majesty. I do not want anyone else learning about this incident. Do you understand? Not even your uncle.”
My voice grew colder.
“And if I ever hear that you are harassing the common people of this city again, I will personally execute both you and your uncle in His Majesty’s name. Many people are eager to claim the seat of Baron.”
“This lowly servant understands! This lowly servant understands!”
“If you understand, then keep rolling.”
As we watched them roll awkwardly out of the inn, Zi Yan could no longer hold back. She burst into uncontrollable laughter.
I patted her back.
“That’s enough. Don’t laugh like that. You’ll choke.”
Her breathing was rough for a moment, but eventually she managed to calm herself.
“Ah Xiang, why don’t you become a pirate?” she said between breaths. “Your bounty would definitely be enormous. I never imagined your extortion skills would be this impressive. Look at them—rolling like turtles! I’m going to laugh myself to death.”
She started laughing again.
There was nothing I could do about her.
After Count Fei Zhen and his men left the inn, my thoughts returned to more immediate matters.
Turning to the innkeeper, I said, “Innkeeper, my clothes are ruined. Have the tailor prepare another set for me. I will pay for it when I settle the rest of the bill.”
The innkeeper waved his hands frantically.
“No need! No need! Being able to serve a Lord Fallen Angel is already an honor.”
Only then did I notice that everyone present—the waiters, attendants, and guests—was looking at me with reverence. The high-ranking demons who had been eating had all stood up as well.
Fallen Angel. Royal blood.
Those titles were certainly convenient.
I did not press the matter.
“We’ll discuss it later. My companion and I haven’t finished our meal. Have the rest delivered to our room. Also, if that idiot delivers anything here, send it directly to my room. I have no desire to see his disgusting face again.”
Just remembering that strange, androgynous voice made my stomach turn.
Fortunately, I had not eaten anything too greasy.
Zi Yan was still suffering stomach cramps from laughing so hard as I dragged her back toward our room.
“Enough. Stop laughing. If you keep laughing like that, you’ll get wrinkles and age prematurely before I come back to marry you.”
The sharpness of my words finally made her stop.
Although dealing with that fat pig had been satisfying, I understood one thing clearly.
The chances of my identity being exposed had increased.
Looking at Zi Yan, I said helplessly, “Miss, you need to think of a solution. What if that pig investigates and discovers my identity? What should I say then?”
I looked at her with a mocking smile.
“I suppose I could claim I’m the Demon Emperor’s illegitimate child.”
Zi Yan’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“That’s actually a good idea. Let’s do that.”
I blinked.
“What? You think that’s a good idea?”
Zi Yan smiled.
“Silly Lay-Lay, listen to me. The royal family has an extremely strong sense of etiquette and superiority. Otherwise there wouldn’t be such a rigid class system.”
She continued confidently.
“You can easily claim to be an illegitimate child of the Demon Emperor—as long as you say your mother was a common woman. Women without royal blood are not allowed to marry the Demon Emperor or enter the palace. It’s considered a matter of ‘preserving tradition.’”
She leaned closer and lowered her voice.
“As long as you don’t meet those closest to the throne, your identity will be safe. After all, who would dare ask the Demon Emperor how many illegitimate children he has?”
She smiled.
“And your ability to transform into a Fallen Angel is the strongest proof. As you know, only royalty can cultivate Fallen Angel techniques, and only the Demon Emperor can pass those techniques to illegitimate children.”
After hearing her explanation, I finally realized the full implications of my careless joke.
“Your thinking is quite impressive,” I admitted. “Although it seems you’ve already arranged my father’s identity for me.”
Zi Yan rolled her eyes.
“Are you insulted by having the Demon Emperor as your father? The matter is settled.”
I never expected my casual remark to help us avoid a major disaster.
It was late at night.
Only scattered lights remained throughout the city.
Zi Yan and I stood on the highest balcony, gazing up at the brilliant stars shining in the dark sky.
“Lay-Lay,” Zi Yan said softly, “how many stars do you think exist in the sky? They’re all so beautiful—like little diamonds scattered across the heavens.”
I wrapped my arms around her from behind and smiled.
“I’m surprised. Our talented young lady doesn’t know how many stars there are. How could I, a lowly commoner with little learning, possibly know?”
Zi Yan pinched my arm.
“I don’t like it when you say things like that. You’re not allowed to talk about yourself that way. My… must always be the best.”
I teased her.
“Your what?”
She refused to answer.
We stood together in silence, enjoying the gentle night wind and the pure moonlight while counting the stars above.
After a long while, I said quietly, “It’s getting late. Let’s go inside and sleep.”
Only after saying it did I realize how ambiguous the words sounded.
Fortunately, Zi Yan seemed not to notice.
“I don’t want to go inside yet,” she said softly. “Stay here with me a little longer, okay? I don’t know when we’ll be able to do this again. Watching the stars with you feels so natural. When you hold me like this, I feel warm and safe.”
“Warm, perhaps,” I replied. “But safe? I wouldn’t say that. I may be able to transform into a Fallen Angel, but I’ve only taken the first step. Compared to true masters, my power is insignificant. If that demon girl had trained harder before our battle, we might already be a pair of ghosts in hell.”
“Don’t say things like that,” Zi Yan scolded softly. “You’ll ruin the atmosphere.”
“Oh? Since when did Lady Zi Yan, who worships strength, start disliking such topics?”
Zi Yan turned and glared at me.
“Do you like the way I am now, or the way I was before?”
I quickly answered with a charming smile.
“I like everything about you. You’re the most beautiful girl in the academy. If I didn’t like you, who else would I like?”
I stretched slightly.
“Anyway, it’s late. Once we receive those gemstones tomorrow, we’ll leave immediately.”
Zi Yan laughed softly.
“When I think about how you mocked that fatty today, I want to laugh again. Twenty top-grade gemstones. That’s quite a debt.”
“It’s only twenty gemstones,” I replied calmly. “Is that really difficult for him? I even gave him some leniency.”
For a moment I became distracted by how small Zi Yan’s waist looked within my arms.
She continued thoughtfully, “It’s not that simple. The quality of gemstones here is different from those in the Beastmen Kingdom or the Dragon God Empire. The Demon Kingdom has mines that mass-produce gemstones. Even mid-grade stones here would be considered high quality in the Dragon God Empire.”
She smiled mischievously.
“So imagine what the highest-grade stones here will look like. After frightening that fatty so badly, I’m really curious what he’ll bring tomorrow.”
I smiled faintly.
“I’m not too worried about that right now. The breeze feels wonderful tonight.”
“I feel the same,” Zi Yan said softly. “But honestly, I think I would feel comfortable anywhere as long as I’m with you.”
I had to restrain myself from kissing her again.
If I did, I might get thrown across the room like last time.
“Be gentle, Lay-Lay,” Zi Yan suddenly said. “You’re about to break my bones.”
Startled, I loosened my arms.
She smiled teasingly.
“Silly. Even though it hurt a little, it felt nice—like you were a part of me.”
I took a deep breath.
“Alright, that’s enough. It’s late. We need to leave early tomorrow.”
This time Zi Yan didn’t argue.
She allowed me to carry her back into the room.
Naturally, the large bed belonged to her.
I slept on the sofa.
Fortunately, the sofa was large and soft, and I slept quite comfortably.
The Gu brothers were surprised by my complete Fallen Angel transformation. In my current state, I was instantly able to force back the pressure they had been imposing on me.
With a wave of my hand, Black Sable flew into my grasp. My face reflected the alertness of my mind. Small objects around the room were blown aside by the intense dark aura pouring from my body. The effects of the transformation were obvious. Under the overwhelming pressure of my aura, the brothers transformed simultaneously.
In an instant, three Fallen Angels stood within the small room.
Comparing myself to the two opposing me, I knew they possessed greater strength, speed, and control over their transformations. They had clearly spent far longer honing their abilities since their first awakening. Fortunately, the pressure their dark auras produced had only minimal effect on me because our powers were of the same origin.
Unfortunately, Zi Yan and that fat pig were not so fortunate. The combined pressure from the three of us forced them against the wall without the ability to move.
With a wave of my hand, I pushed both of them out of the room. Zi Yan passed through the doorway safely, but the door closed before Count Fei Zhen could follow. He crashed straight through it, leaving a large round hole in the wood.
As long as Zi Yan was unharmed, nothing else mattered.
Griffin Lucifer, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
“I never expected you to truly be able to transform into a Fallen Angel. Clearly you are not an impostor. Perhaps you are a royal who has only recently completed the transformation. But how is it that I have never heard of anyone named Lay Lucifer?”
With a sinister smile, I answered, “Since both of you can transform as well, it’s obvious we are not outsiders. How about this? Let me show you something.”
As I spoke, I handed Black Sable to them without hesitation.
Their vigilance eased slightly when I surrendered my weapon so readily.
Gwynn Lucifer accepted the sword and examined it carefully. After a moment, his eyes widened.
“This… this is the Divine Sword of Slaughter—Black Sable! How could it be in your possession? Didn’t this sword disappear ages ago? I’ve only ever seen it mentioned in ancient records.”
He stroked the blade reverently as he spoke. Admiration slowly filled his eyes, followed by unmistakable greed.
Divine Sword of Slaughter? What is that supposed to mean? Isn’t Black Sable merely one of the Seven Great Swords?
The only reason I had shown it to them was because Teacher Zhuang once said it originally came from the Demon Clan.
I smiled calmly.
“That’s correct. This is that very sword. His Majesty personally presented it to me as a gift. Unfortunately, I still cannot use its full power.”
To prevent further questions, I deliberately revealed a weakness they would consider believable. Otherwise they might continue probing me.
Gwynn frowned.
“His Majesty gave you this sword? Impossible. If His Majesty truly possessed it, he would have passed it to his direct successor. And of course you cannot use its full power yet. To wield Black Sable completely, one must reach the ninth tier of the Demonic Arts and transform into a six-winged Fallen Angel.”
He snorted disdainfully.
“The humans named it one of the Seven Great Swords without even realizing it was originally the sword of the Demon God.”
It was obvious that the existence of Black Sable had greatly shocked both brothers. Gwynn’s composure had already begun to slip.
“Elder Brother,” I said calmly, “are you finished examining Black Sable? Could you return it?”
Gwynn carefully held the sword and replied, “I can return it—but only if you explain why His Majesty would give such a weapon to you.”
Both brothers wore amused expressions now.
The meaning was obvious.
If I refused to answer, they would not return the sword.
Fortunately, their hostility had faded.
I pretended to sigh heavily.
“Do you really want to hear it?”
“Of course!” the two brothers said simultaneously.
“In that case, you must swear that nothing I say today will ever be revealed. If His Majesty learns of it, I’m afraid even your father would not be able to protect you.”
The brothers exchanged a glance and then spoke together.
“I, Gwynn Lucifer / Griffin Lucifer, swear before the Demon God. If we ever reveal anything Lay Lucifer tells us today, we will suffer the torment of ten thousand demons entering our bodies and perish with our souls destroyed.”
Fortunately for me, they had sworn one of the most binding oaths possible.
To strengthen their trust further, I nodded with satisfaction.
“Since we will not be fighting anymore, let us release our transformations. This younger brother has only reached the fourth tier of the Demonic Arts, and maintaining this form is quite exhausting.”
The truth was that my strength was already beginning to fade.
Once the transformation ended, I noticed my clothes had been torn apart again.
Poor me.
Seeing me return to my normal form first, the brothers also withdrew their transformations. Their trust in me clearly increased.
I gestured politely for them to sit.
After sitting down, I raised my voice toward the hallway.
“You can both come in now.”
Zi Yan and Count Fei Zhen cautiously entered the room.
Count Fei Zhen looked miserable. His nose and mouth were bleeding, his clothing torn, his hair disheveled. When he saw the three of us sitting peacefully together, he immediately realized his situation had grown worse.
As he stepped forward, I began mocking him.
“Hmph! Did you think I was only bluffing earlier? In that case… let’s begin.”
Count Fei Zhen immediately collapsed to the floor and trembled. Holding out the box in his hands, he begged.
“Lord, this lowly servant has brought the items you requested. It has exhausted my entire fortune. Please spare this insignificant life.”
Gwynn spoke calmly.
“My brother, this man’s uncle is on good terms with us. For our sake, could you spare his life?”
The two brothers were becoming increasingly polite toward me, though some doubt still lingered. Fortunately, my transformation and Black Sable had convinced them I was not their enemy.
I glanced coldly at the fat man.
“Since Elder Brother has pleaded on his behalf, I will spare him this time.”
Then I turned to Count Fei Zhen.
“But remember this. If you ever offend me again, I will roast you over a fire like the pig you are. Now put the box down and get out.”
Count Fei Zhen hurriedly obeyed and rolled out of the room like a ball.
I gestured for Zi Yan to close the door. Unfortunately, the large hole in it made the effort pointless.
Picking up the box, I said to the brothers, “Please take a few if you like. This is merely compensation from that pig for ruining my clothes.”
Griffin shook his head.
“There’s no need. Just explain your relationship with His Majesty. We have urgent matters to attend to.”
Griffin appeared far more serious than his brother. Although Gwynn seemed to lead, Griffin’s thinking was deeper.
These two could command tremendous power within the Demon Clan. Naturally, they had no interest in something as trivial as gemstones.
I casually tossed the box to Zi Yan.
“This is my fiancée. She knows everything about me. There’s no need to hide anything from her.”
Putting on a solemn expression, I said quietly,
“Elder Brothers, remember the oath you just made. Please do not laugh at me. I am an illegitimate child of His Majesty, born outside the palace.”
The statement immediately shocked them.
Their eyes widened as they stared at one another.
“To tell the truth,” I continued slowly, “His Majesty is the person I hate most in this world.”
Their expressions instantly shifted to contempt.
“But he is also the person I admire most.”
Their expressions softened again.
It was almost amusing watching their reactions change with every sentence.
Zi Yan shot me an encouraging glance.
I continued.
“I hate him because, on a whim, he destroyed my mother’s life. Although she has no regrets, I cannot forgive him. Since my mother is not of royal blood, she could never remain by his side.”
I lowered my gaze.
“However, His Majesty felt guilty. He gave me Black Sable as compensation for what he had done.”
The brothers appeared genuinely moved.
Gwynn respectfully returned the sword with both hands.
“These are the ancestral rules,” he said gently. “You cannot blame His Majesty entirely. If it were another royal, they might not have shown even this much compassion.”
I accepted Black Sable and snorted.
“What ridiculous rules. Those useless traditions destroyed my family.”
I could not help thinking of my real mother.
Even though she had never loved me or cared for me, her life had indeed been miserable.
“Tell me,” I continued bitterly, “how can the ruler of our nation—the head of our clan—not abolish such rules? How can he not restore my mother’s name? How can I not hate him?”
The brothers could not answer.
Gwynn coughed awkwardly and changed the subject.
“Then tell us—what do you admire about His Majesty?”
I sighed.
“His Majesty has brought the Demon Kingdom into perfect order. Among rulers past and present, his abilities are unmatched. As his son, how could I not admire him?”
I paused.
“However, my identity must remain secret. That is why I asked for your oath.”
“Shortly after I turned six, Father visited us. He brought me a copy of the Demonic Arts and personally instructed me. From that day onward, I vowed to become powerful enough that he would never lose face because of me.”
“Only a few months ago I finally broke through the third tier and transformed into a Fallen Angel. Somehow Father learned of it and came to congratulate me personally. Before leaving, he gave me a secret mission—which is why I am here.”
I looked at them seriously.
“As for the mission itself, please do not ask. It is highly confidential. The only thing I can reveal is that my destination is the Dragon God Empire.”
When I finished speaking, I glanced at them from the corner of my eye.
Both of them were deep in thought.
From the moment they entered, everything had followed the story I spun.
My lie was built upon truth, making it extremely convincing.
Finally Gwynn nodded.
“Since you share His Majesty’s blood, we have no reason to doubt you further.”
“My brother and I are heading to the front lines. Recently the Princess was severely injured. His Majesty has asked us to oversee the situation. Would you like to come with us? After all, the Princess is your sister.”
I shook my head.
“I cannot. My mission is too important to delay for personal matters. Besides… I doubt she would even acknowledge me as her brother.”
I nearly laughed.
After all, I was the one who had caused those injuries.
Griffin surprised me by patting my shoulder.
“Don’t be discouraged. As long as you keep working hard, things will change. Since you have a mission, we will not force you.”
He paused.
“However, since we are traveling in the same direction, why not travel together?”
I could hardly refuse such a reasonable request.
“It would be an honor for this younger brother, who grew up in the wilderness, to receive the guidance of my elder brothers.”
“There’s no need for such formality,” Gwynn said. “Ask us anything you wish. We will wait for you at the eastern gate at noon tomorrow.”
The brothers stood and departed.
After escorting them to the inn entrance, I watched their figures disappear into the distance.
Only when they were gone did I finally sigh in relief.
Zi Yan patted my back.
“That was close.”
I nodded.
“If you hadn’t established my identity earlier, I might have been forced to fight them. Facing both at once… I’m not even sure I could handle one.”
I thought about my Crimson Fallen Angel transformation—the one I used to kill Count Bai Sikai.
If I could control it, I might stand a chance.
Unfortunately, that berserk form remained uncontrollable.
“For now,” I continued, “I’d have to rely on luck.”
Then I smiled slightly.
“But this worked out well. I learned something interesting.”
“Apparently Black Sable is called the Divine Sword of Slaughter.”
Zi Yan smiled.
“What’s so special about the Divine Sword of Slaughter? Doesn’t it have a rival—the Divine Sword of Exorcism?”
“Divine Sword of Exorcism?” I frowned. “What is that?”
But when I looked at Zi Yan, she stood frozen, hands covering her mouth.
“Zi Yan, what’s wrong?”
She slowly came back to herself.
“Just now… what did I say?”
I frowned.
“You asked what was special about the Divine Sword of Slaughter and mentioned the Divine Sword of Exorcism. Now I’m asking you—what is that sword?”
Zi Yan shook her head.
“I don’t know either. After hearing you mention Black Sable, those words just came out of my mouth. I couldn’t stop them.”
Seeing her confused expression, I did not question her further.
“Let’s go back to the room.”
By the time we returned to the suite, she had calmed down.
“What should we do?” she asked anxiously. “Are we really traveling with them? What if they discover something? Should we run?”
I shook my head.
“No. We must go with them.”
“This will allow us to learn more about the Demon Kingdom. More importantly, if we suddenly run, what would they think? They would immediately suspect we were impostors.”
“With their power and influence, they would send soldiers to hunt us down. We would have no chance.”
I lowered my voice.
“They may already have people watching us. That’s why we must go—with extreme caution.”
Zi Yan smiled.
“Lay-Lay, you’ve grown up a lot. When we first met, I thought you were an immature brat.”
She stood up.
“You’re right. I’ll pack our things.”
Watching her leave, I touched my face helplessly.
Have I really become more mature? I’m only seventeen. Am I aging too quickly?