Chapter 13: The Right to Rule

When waking up from a deep sleep, In-gone usually had to face the ceiling or wall. However, when his eyes opened this time, the first thing he saw was long green hair that tickled his face and a beautiful face.

Green eyes blinked as In-gong stared at them sleepily. He almost screamed, but the other person was faster.

‘Master!’

Green Wind laughed and embraced In-gong. Instead of hugging Green Wind, In-gong moved his eyes. Beyond Green Wind’s hair, he saw an expensive looking ceiling.

‘And…’

In-gong tried to breathe and think while Green Wind covered his body.  He lifted his free left hand and patted Green Wind’s back as he was about to speak.

‘Wait.’

There was something strange. Only his left hand was free. In-gong had no problems staring at his right side because Green Wind was hugging his left. He turned his head to the right and raised his upper body.

“Master, are you okay now? Have strength.”

Green Wind was in an actualized state, so she had weight. There were some questions about the conservation of mass, but In-gong had other worries at the moment. Instead of digging deeper, he glanced at Caitlin who was holding onto In-gong’s right hand.

Expensive-looking ceiling and room… and a huge bed.

In-gong was dressed in clothes that were easy to peel off and so was Caitlin who was lying beside him.

After carefully untangling his hands from Caitlin’s, In-gong looked back at Green Wind sitting on his thigh.

“Explain.”

Green Wind quickly nodded at his request.

“This is the lycanthropes’ palace. Master has been bedridden for four days.”

“Four days?”

“Four days. I have been looking after you for four days. Staring blankly is one of my specialities.”

Green Wind said with a laugh. In-gong now knew why Green Wind was staring at him. It was because Green Wind had been lonely.

In-gong hugged Green Wind very tightly. Green Wind made a sound but was faithful to her usual instincts when being praised.

“Umm, I don’t know why but I feel good. Continue.”

In-gong smiled at Green Wind and pushed her out of his arms slightly. He patted her head and said,

“Please continue explaining to me.”

“I understand. As I said, this is the lycanthrope palace. The reason why Master and Caitlin are lying on one bed is to increase the healing effect of both of you.”

“Healing effect?”

It was surprised by the unexpected story. Green Wind pulled back and looked In-gong up and down.

“How much does Master remember?”

“Uh… Gerard ran away?”

In-gong closed his eyes and searched through his memories. He remembered that Gerard had lost his shoulder to Lightning.

‘Carack caught me and Green Wind protected me.’

Then his memories became confusing. He seemed to recall Felicia’s crying face, but he couldn’t remember it properly.

Green Wind said,

“Felicia gave Moonlight Extract to Master and Caitlin. As Chris ordered, she split it into two and something unexpected happened to Master and Caitlin’s body due to the Moonlight Extract.”

In-gong quickly activated the status window and skills window. Not long after, he was able to capture the changes in the skills window.

[Protagonist Body]

[Special Passive Skill: Moonlight Core]

‘Second… aura heart?’

He closed his eyes. He realized that he could feel a moonlight core deep in his chest. His flow of aura was now different from before.

In Knight Saga, the Moonlight Extract was a miraculous herb that could revive someone if they had a single breath left. That alone was awesome, but there was another effect?

In-gong focused his attention on the flow of aura for a while. Although there were two starting points, his aura didn’t seem that different. Both flows became one during the cycle. It seemed to create a much faster and stronger flow than before.

‘Dual cores?’

Was it like a two engine jet fighter?

That wasn’t the only mysterious point. The nature of his aura had changed somewhat. To be precise, a new strength had been added to his aura.

It wasn’t unfamiliar. In fact, it was a familiar aura.

In-gong turned to Caitlin while Green Wind opened her mouth again,

“After eating the Moonlight Extract, Master and Caitlin were caught in a big light and exchanged life force. Just like Master and I, Master and Caitlin are also connected. Of course, it isn’t quite like me.”

In-gong nodded inadvertently. He definitely felt Caitlin in his aura and In-gong felt himself in Caitlin.

“Chris said that the closer the two of you were, the more vitality would be activated. If you hold her hand again, you will know.”

There was no reason not to, so In-gong grabbed Caitlin’s hand and he could see what Green Wind had said was true.

“Ohh.”

He noticed it the moment he touched her hand. It wasn’t just a simple feeling but a reaction. The flow of aura from the Moonlight Core became stronger like it had been influenced.

Chris seemed to know this which was why he had laid In-gong and Caitlin on the same bed.

“The others? Was anybody else injured?”

He gently lay down his hand, which was holding Caitlin’s, to make it more comfortable. Green Wind shook her head.

“No. Master and Caitlin were the most badly injured. Chris is already up and limping around. Felicia cried a lot, but she wasn’t hurt.”

“I’m glad.”

He didn’t need to ask about Carack, Daphne, Karma and Delia.

Conquest Knight.

Famine Knight.

In-gong was reminded of Conquest, the white woman. She had said that In-gong was her only hope.

Had she been the one who brought In-gong to this world? Why had she picked In-gong? What was she looking for?

Of course, he didn’t feel that resentful. If the white woman had really called him to this world, there would be many reasons. So, he didn’t mind that much.

However, he put that on hold. He couldn’t talk properly with the white woman, so it was useless to worry about it now.

‘In a sense, it is also cool.’

There was a reason.

One day, he had opened his eyes in a game or game-like world. There had been a reason for In-gong to enter the world of Knight Saga.

Yet, he didn’t know that reason yet. However, that didn’t change the thought in his head that it was slightly cool.

‘And…’

In-gong turned his gaze back to Caitlin. Although her complexion was a little pale, her face was very calm. The flow of aura he could feel through his hands was very smooth.

Things were changing after In-gong came into his world.

In-gong was going to stop the Day of Massacre. Of course, the biggest reason was In-gong’s survival but that wasn’t all.

After getting to know Chris and Caitlin, he wanted to prevent the lycanthrope subjugation. However, by blocking the Day of Massacre, he would also save Felicia and Daphne.

It was a story separate from the white woman, Conquest, War, Death and Famine. This was this and that was that.

In-gong didn’t intend to allow the tragedy from Knight Saga to replay in the Demon World.

‘The conclusion is the same.’

It was like his thoughts when he had first woken up in the world.

It was no different from the sword duke’s and Chris’ words.

He needed to be strong.

He would become strong enough to get rid of all the dangers that came. Then he would be able to solve all problems.

It might be an ignorant and simple idea, but it was true. It was just like the fight against Gerard. He was able to repel Gerard because he had raised his abilities steadily. If In-gong’s power had been lacking even a little bit, a completely different result would have been created. Not only In-gong but Chris, Caitlin, Carack and all the others would have lost their lives.

In-gong put some strength into his right hand that was holding Caitlin and he smiled mischievously.

‘Protagonist.’

Like a protagonist, he would become stronger. He would break the planned tragedy and make a happy ending.

“Master, what are you thinking? That expression is sneaky.”

Green Wind asked with narrowed eyes. Just as a wishful thought passed through her head, someone came and visited.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

“Chris hyung.”

It was Chris who had showed up. He was wearing leather as always and Green Wind quickly disappeared.

Chris chuckled.

“She is really shy.”

‘It’s not like that.’

Green Wind pleaded in a small voice, but In-gong spoke to Chris instead. He moved into a sitting posture and glanced at Chris.

“Is Hyung okay?”

“Of course. Are you really fine?”

Chris asked, sitting down on the chair next to the bed. Chris made the huge chair look cramped.

“Somewhat. I heard the story of the Moonlight Essence from Green Wind. Thank you.”

It was a herb that could only be obtained once in 100 years.

After In-gong’s words, Chris jumped up from his chair and ruffled In-gong’s head with a laugh.

“I wanted to thank you. I am alive because of you. And I also got to see the legend of the Moonlight Extract.”

Chris’ gaze shifted from In-gong to Caitlin. It was obvious he was referring to the Moonlight Core.

Chris leaned back in the chair and fixed his expression.

“It is unknown if Gerard is currently dead or alive.”

“Unknown?”

The expression was somewhat ambiguous. Did he not simply escape?

Chris pressed a hand against his temple and responded,

“The tracking troops found parts of Gerard’s lower and upper body. Like charcoal breaking down… It was like that.”

In-gong recalled the last Lightning that had struck Gerard. At that time, his left shoulder had been shattered.

“He should be dead because his body below the waist was cut off, but… I can never be sure. I will continue the search until I am convinced that he is dead.”

In-gong also agreed. He didn’t think that Gerard was dead.

As In-gong’s expression became serious, Chris laughed.

“Don’t worry so much. He might have survived with no lower body, but what about the upper body? His left arm was entirely shattered. He will be in the worst condition. I’ve also prepared a way to deal with his strange technique.”

He wasn’t simply reassuring In-gong as his eyes were bloody. He seemed to have prepared something.

Chris changed the topic.

“Can I ask about the effects of the Moonlight Extract? Master Bruce said that you have the Moonlight Core and Caitlin has the Starlight Core.”

“I don’t know yet. It seems amazing though.”

It had literally become a dual core. Perhaps the synergistic effects would be beyond imagination. The synergy wouldn’t be 1+1=2 but maybe three or four.

‘And…’

In-gong stared at Caitlin. There were a few times when he had wanted to experiment on with Caitlin. Hopefully, new training methods would be born.

“Hmm, okay. i am anticipating it.”

Chris finished his story and stood up with a grin. He moved his gaze to a higher point as he hesitated for a moment.

“It seems to be that time.”

“Time?”

What did that mean?

Chris stared straight at In-gong.

“Shutra, you will now meet someone. My advice, don’t ever panic. Stay calm and you will amaze her.”

“Chris hyung?”

“Come.”

Chris stepped back and someone else entered for a visit. A sharp man wearing a military uniform opened the door. Instead of entering the room, he waited in the front of the door and a woman entered.

In-gong knew straight away who she was.

‘The 4th Queen! Elaine Moonlight!’

Queen of the lycanthropes, Chris and Caitlin’s mother!

Wearing a blue dress, she could literally be a version of Caitlin in her twenties. She looked exactly like Caitlin except that her hair was black like ebony and her body was very alluring.

Her face looked to be only in the mid-20s, so if she stood next to Caitlin, they would seem more like siblings than mother and daughter.

As she walked over to the bed, she looked down at In-gong with Chris’ blue eyes and In-gong realized why Caitlin had a cold look despite her pure nature. Elaine’s expression was freezing cold itself.

“The 9th Prince, Shutra Agnus.”

“Yes.”

Elaine spoke and In-gong replied. Then she laughed like Chris and suddenly embraced In-gong.

“Thank you, it is because of you that Chris and Caitlin survived. If it hadn’t been for you, it would have been a really big deal.”

She didn’t hold onto In-gong but tapped his back a few times before releasing him. She touched his cheek like he was her child and said,

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Chris and Caitlin. There are many impressive stories. It has been a long time since Caitlin has praised someone so much.”

Her expression was cold but her tone was sweet. In-gong felt just as confused as the first time he met Caitlin.

Elaine in Knight Saga had literally been the enemy. She had been hostile to Zephyr and in the lycanthrope subjugation, she had been a blood-crazed beast that showed why she was the queen of the lycanthropes.

However, the Elaine in front of him was friendly.

“Thank you.”

In-gong answered calmly. Elaine laughed like his gratitude was funny and went to stand next to Chris. She gazed at Caitlin who was sleeping while holding In-gong’s hand and then turned to In-gong again.

“Okay, this is enough for a greeting, so I’ll say it bluntly.”

In-gong gazed at Chris with questioning eyes and he just gazed back. Elaine, sitting between the two of them, looked straight at In-gong.

“9th Prince Shutra Ignus, do you have any thoughts about becoming the demon king?”

This was the question from the queen of the lycanthropes.

In-gong’s eyes widened as Elaine approached him. Instead of asking again, she waited for In-gong’s answer.

Demon king.

The first in the world. The ruler of the Demon World and the strongest person in the Demon World.

In-gong stared at Elaine with confused eyes and a faint smile appeared on Elaine’s face.

“I guess you haven’t thought about it before.”

It was like that. It was the right answer.

It was Zephyr who had become the demon king in Knight Saga.

He wanted to confront Zephyr in order to prevent the Day of Massacre, but he had never thought of becoming the demon king. It was because Shutra’s position was too low.

Elaine sat down beside In-gong and stared at him with a mixed expression. Then she said with a laugh,

“Well, it is understandable when considering your position so far.”

9th Prince Shutra Ignus was known as the Scraps Prince.

He was a poor boy who had lost his mother, his biggest supporter, at a young age;

A poor prince who didn’t receive any outside support.

“Now, your position has changed, so you should think about it.”

Elaine spoke to In-gong in an alluring voice. Then In-gong realized a new fact,

‘They don’t look alike.’

She had almost the same face as Caitlin, but she was different. Elaine was a completely different type of person.

“I don’t need to hear an answer right now. Once again, just think about it. I’ll hear your answer later.”

Elaine moved forward like a feline beast. She approached Caitlin, who was sleeping serenely, and touched her cheek.

“Sleep well, my baby.”

Elaine bowed and kissed Caitlin’s forehead. She lifted her head slowly and lingered her gaze on In-gong again.

She was cold and warm; there was some uncertainty buried her casualness.

Elaine turned toward the door before saying one last thing to In-gong,

“Take it easy. I’ll see you again soon.”

“Thank you.”

In-gong’s reply was somewhat misleading, but Elaine laughed heartily. She left as abruptly as she had appeared.

The man by the door closed it. A few seconds passed before Chris laughed.

Then he said,

“My advice?”

In-gong turned to Chris and realized that a person could be incredibly hateful. He snapped at Chris who was smiling mischievously.

“Why didn’t you tell me that the 4th Queen was coming?”

“Then that would be no fun.”

As expected, he received a hateful reply in return. Chris laughed like a villain and said again,

“Anyhow, you should really think about it. About becoming the demon king, that is.”

He spoke lightly, but the expression in his eyes was serious. No, from the start, this had been a subject that couldn’t be dealt with lightly.

Today had been the first time In-gong had encountered 4th Queen Elaine Moonlight. Regardless, it wasn’t normal to ask someone if they wanted to become a demon king.

There were three possible reasons behind this.

Elaine was really casual, she was genuine or someone had evaluated In-gong for her.

In-gong thought it was the third reason. If it was the third reason, there was only one person it could be.

Chris Moonlight, the 4th Queen’s eldest son and the one she trusted most in the world… The one who would be king of the lycanthropes and who was already walking on that path.

Elaine’s question was soon asked by Chris who wondered if In-gong intended to become the demon king.

Chris liked jokes, but he would never make light of this. He wasn’t the type of person who would ask In-gong this question casually.

Chris was hoping that In-gong would become the demon king.

In-gong took a step back in his mind and looked at this incident from far away.

In a common monarchy, it was treason for someone who wasn’t the Crown Prince to think of becoming the king. Just saying that they wanted to become king would ignite a dangerous blaze.

However, the Demon World was different.

Since the beginning, there had never been such a thing as a fixed Crown Prince. The strongest royal child would become the demon king. There was no discrimination between man and woman or against age.

Therefore, it was natural for the children of the demon king to be encouraged.

However, this was somewhat distant from reality.

To become a demon king, they had to be the strongest and many things were required in order to become the strongest. Out of the royal children, there were only three who sincerely sought out to become the demon king:

1st Prince Baikal Ragnaros;

2nd Prince Zephyr Ragnaros;

And 4th Princess Anastasia Nekrion.

In Knight Saga, Chris hadn’t been greedy about becoming the demon king. He was hostile and vigilant toward Zephyr, but he didn’t engage actively in any faction rivalry.

Yet he was now asking about the demon king position.

In-gong breathed in deeply as he thought about it. He narrowed down his thoughts and asked Chris instead of replying to him,

“Why me?”

In-gong could guess to some extent, but he wanted to hear it from Chris.

Instead of answering right away, Chris straightened his posture. He was buried deep in the chair, but his size was so big that the chair seemed like it would burst.

Chris got into a comfortable position and smiled.

“Perhaps I am being too premature… and it is somewhat awkward to talk about.”

Every person had a different way of talking. According to the situation and the person he was talking to, Chris’ tone would change.

He gave a long sigh. Instead of his normal mischievous expression, his face was calm like when he had been discussing the withdrawal from the Red Lightning tribe.

“I can’t become the demon king but Shutra can.”

Chris’ words didn’t end there. He raised his hand and concentrated aura on his fist. The blue aura seemed very cold.

“I am strong, a so-called genius.”

It was obvious that he was speaking seriously.

Chris was a genius. At the age of 17, he had a strength comparable to that of the senior generals of the Demon King’s Palace. His growth rate was indeed terrifying.

“However, it isn’t overwhelming. At best, it is only a similar level to Silvan. I can’t come close to 1st Prince Baikal in 10 years time. Not to mention the distance with 2nd Prince who can be described as a monster.”

The 5th Prince Silvan Doomblade, Felicia’s twin brother and prince of the dark elves, he was a genius comparable to Chris.

So was 1st Prince Baikal, who was good at both the sword and magic. Baikal was in the mid-twenties and it was said that he was comparable to the five captains.

Chris didn’t mention it but 4th Princess Anastasia was also a genius in her area. If Felicia was a capable magician, Anastasia was a monster when it came to magic. There was a good reason why she led one of the three factions instead of her brother, 3rd Prince Victor.

Then there was 2nd Prince Zephyr Ragnaros.

In Knight Saga, Zephyr had been powerful. Moreover, he had been the protagonist and had become strong at a tremendous speed.

However, the current Zephyr seemed stronger than the Zephyr of Knight Saga. Once he gathered all the stories he had heard indirectly, he was forced to come to such a conclusion.

“The forces of the lycanthropes don’t match with the draconians. The chances are slim that I will become the demon king when I am already falling behind in individual ability. It is better to stay still than to get involved in a struggle between factions.”

That wasn’t all; the lycanthropes had a political weakness. The existence of Caitlin Moonlight and the secret of her birth…

She was the reason why the lycanthropes didn’t get involved in the politics of the Demon King’s castle. Chris and Caitlin had proven they weren’t interested in the throne by living at the palace of the lycanthropes instead of the Demon King’s Palace.

Perhaps it was for Caitlin to some extent. Just like Shutra in the past, interest would be diminished once the person was out of sight.

“However, Shutra is different. You can catch up with 1st Prince and 2nd Prince.”

Chris’ blue eyes shone with eagerness. He sincerely believed that In-gong could surpass Baikal and Zephyr.

Only a few months after learning Aura, he had reached a level comparable to Caitlin. He had combined Divine Beast Authority and Sura Heart Law to create Divine Sura Authority and brought out the true efficacy of the Moonlight Extract.

Calling him a genius was lacking. He was a monster comparable to Zephyr, even the sword duke had expressed it.

“You can also get support from those other than the lycanthropes, unlike me.”

The sword duke was already supporting him. There wasn’t an official station, but the fact that the sword duke had taught him personally wasn’t small.

“The dark elves are currently neutral. It was likely that they would have leaned towards the 4th Princess as time passed by, but you appeared. You captured Felicia’s heart completely in just a few months.”

Silvan and Felicia were like Chris and Caitlin. The moment he got Felicia’s heart, he also got Silvan’s.

In-gong was somewhat uncomfortable with the statement that he had gained Felicia’s heart, but he couldn’t deny it. It was unimaginable that Felicia would side with any of the other royal children over In-gong.

“The sponsorship of the sword duke. If you keep stacking up merits, you can pardon the gandharva who are now confined. Although they are in a state of collapse, they were a species that had once been able to build up a queen. Their power can’t be ignored.”

In-gong felt like he had been slapped in the back of the head.

Confined? Pardon?

Was that why he hadn’t even seen one gandharva? What sin had been committed that the whole species had been confined?

This story seemed correct. It was the reason why there weren’t any gandharva caring for Shutra.

If so, what had they done? When looking at the discussion of amnesty through merits, what type of crime could it be that, despite the crime, Shutra and the 5th Queen still maintained their status?

He had plenty of doubts. He needed to find out about the gandharva.

Chris sighed and took a sip of water from the glass on the table as though his throat was burning.

“I don’t like 1st Prince, 2nd Prince and 4th Princess. But Shutra is different. I think the future where you become demon king is best for the lycanthrope species.”

It wasn’t simply because they were friends.

There was already a trusting and supportive relationship between In-gong and the lycanthropes after learning Divine Beast Authority.

In-gong also had none of his mother’s family to rely on, so allying with the lycanthropes was beneficial to him.

Chris suddenly grinned. His face reverted to his usual friendly expression as he spoke,

“Well, you don’t have to do anything right now. Just think about it. There is a big difference between thinking of it yourself and having someone suggest it to you.”

Chris winked slightly and got up from his seat. Like Elaine, he approached Caitlin. He touched Caitlin, who was sleeping serenely, on the cheek and kissed her forehead.

“Think about Mother’s words.”

Chris said as he looked up and In-gong was reminded of Elaine.

They had the same eyes. Moreover, why was he looking this way after kissing Caitlin? There were many guesses and assumptions.

“Just a little bit longer. If you are hungry or if Caitlin wakes up, pull the line on this wall.”

Chris instructed in a friendly tone before stepping out of the room. In-gong laughed for some unknown reason.

‘Becoming the demon king.’

Chris’ words were all true.

At first, In-gong had also been similar to Chris. In-gong hadn’t thought that he would become the demon king.

However, things had changed. In some ways, it could have been decided from the beginning.

Zephyr was the strongest royal child. It was natural that someone stronger than Zephyr would become the demon king.

‘It is like a mother having a friend’s son who was the best, but she wants her son to become first in the nation.’

In-gong laughed at the analogy he came up with and nodded slowly.

His thoughts were simple. The advice was precious, but he had already come to a conclusion.

‘Become strong.’ Everything would be resolved if he became strong enough to be the demon king.

He would be able to stop the destruction of the lycanthropes and the Day of Massacre. It would also be possible to go against Famine, War and Death.

‘Anyway, the goal of Knight Saga is to become the demon king.’

After summarizing his thoughts, In-gong gazed at the warmth of his right hand and Caitlin who was sleeping peacefully.

He couldn’t express it, but he wanted to keep this.

In-gong was gazing at Caitlin with warm eyes when he heard Green Wind’s voice in his ears.

“Master, you look sneaky.”

The actualized form of Green Wind was now sitting on In-gong’s thighs. In-gong narrowed his eyes at her.

“Do my eyes always look sneaky to you?”

Green Wind nodded with a bright face. He didn’t know how to respond.

‘Maybe it is retaliation for calling her Greenie.’

Without knowing why, In-gong suddenly wanted to see Carack.

&

“Your eyes are burning with ambition.”

“Carack, you as well.”

”Your eyes are burning with ambition.”

“Carack, you as well…”

In-gong grabbed his chest with a pained sound.

“Why are you pretending? Where is the pain?”

“I don’t know if you are really good or bad.”

Why was he so perceptive yet insensitive about things?

‘He is the real protagonist.’

As always, In-gong couldn’t help having this thought. Carack returned to looking after In-gong.

“Anyway, isn’t your body better?”

There was a deep worry buried in his rough tone. In-gong knocked on his chest.

“I’m fine. Rather, I feel much better.”

His words were genuine. Aura was the power of life, so strengthening his aura made his life force itself stronger.

“It is strange. If I had been asleep for four days, I should be starving.”

“Ah, that reminds me. Why aren’t I hungry?”

In-gong rubbed his belly reflexively. He only felt hard abs. Since the start, he hadn’t been hungry.

Four days was a long time. When counting three meals a day, he had missed 12 meals, yet he wasn’t starving.

Green Wind relieved In-gong and Carack’s doubts.

“It is the effect of the Moonlight Extract. During your sleep over the last few days, you have been accepting the healing benefits of the Moonlight Extract.”

As always, Green Wind appeared on In-gong’s thighs. Now that Carack had become familiar with Green Wind, he asked In-gong with disbelief,

“Um, then you will keep not being hungry?”

“It isn’t like that. Now that you’re awake, you will become hungry again after a time.”

Green Wind replied sincerely to what could be a frustrating question. Carack sighed with relief and cried out,

“Prince, I’m really glad. It would be a big problem if you lost the desire to eat.”

If he wasn’t hungry, he wouldn’t want food and his pleasure in eating would disappear. It was a really scary thing to think about.

‘Indeed, a genius orc.’

His way of thinking was definitely extraordinary.

In-gong admired him, then changing the topic.

“How is the lycanthropes’ palace? Is it different from the Demon King’s Palace?”

“Huh? This isn’t the palace of the lycanthropes. It is like a house where the royalty stays.”

Carack tilted his head with confusion. In-gong’s gaze turned toward Green Wind.

“Greenie?”

It was obvious who he was calling, but Green Wind just avoided his gaze.

“Is Greenie here? Carack, do you know?”

Carack laughed instead of replying and Green Wind’s gaze toward In-gong became colder. Green Wind opened her mouth and declared coldly,

“I thought it was a royal palace. You are a good Master, but I feel like Master has become a little bit spiteful these days.”

Then she sneaked a peek at In-gong. She was the guardian that the centaurs and satyrs of Enger Plains prayed to, but he just thought she was cute.

“Well, it is similar.”

In-gong turned away from Green Wind and asked Carack again,

“In the meantime, how have you been?”

“Prince and Princess were sleeping, so I was able to take a break. Karma is learning druid magic from Daphne while Prince Chris seems to be busy due to the person who ran away. Princess Felicia is staying in her room due to the lycanthrope nobles that came.”

Karma hadn’t just started learning druid magic from Daphne yesterday and it was natural that Chris was busy. However, he was somewhat nervous about Felicia.

“The lycanthrope nobles?”

“They seem to have come with Queen Elaine. Seira says that they are the queen’s royal guards. Every one of them have an unusual red tattoo on their face.”

Among the nobility, there were those who were part of Queen Elaine’s royal guards.

They had red tattoos on their faces.

“The Blood Companions.”

“Blood Companions?”

“That is what Seira called the 4th Queen’s royal guards. They are scary.”

In the lycanthrope subjugation, aside from Chris and Caitlin, the ones who dealt the most damage aside were the blood companions.

They consisted only of werewolves and all of them had some royal blood, regardless of whether it is thick or thin. Each one knew Divine Beast Authority and since they were trained with the aim of joining this unit, the connection between them was really great.

Carack shook his head at In-gong’s explanation like it was ridiculous.

“Prince seems to know everything that others don’t.”

If Felicia was next to him, she would have nodded.

As though he suddenly had a thought, In-gong asked Carack,

“Did you ask about that?”

Although Caitlin was asleep, he didn’t know what she or anyone else might overhear. Carack quickly noticed In-gong’s intentions.

“If it is about that story, I asked Delia and Seira while I was resting.”

He hadn’t forgotten about what In-gong had told him previously at the Demon King’s Palace. In-gong nodded with a satisfied expression.

“Okay, then tell me next time.”

“Understood. By the way, what about Princess?”

Carack changed the subject naturally. In-gong gazed at the sleeping Caitlin and said,

“Fortunately, she seems to be okay.”

He could still feel Caitlin’s aura through their entwined hands. Just like In-gong, Caitlin had become healthier than before. He would have been worried about how long she was sleeping, but Green Wind said it was the medicinal effect of Moonlight Extract.

“Will both of you really get better if you hold hands like that?”

“Yes.”

In-gong replied while fixing the position of Caitlin’s hand. Despite the fact that it was true, In-gong also thought that it was quite strange.

“Master, Princess seems to be waking up.”

In-gong turned to Caitlin after hearing Green Wind’s voice. Caitlin was opening her eyelids slowly .

She stared at the ceiling blankly for a moment before smiling.

“Shu…tra?”

Her voice was hoarse from being asleep for so long, but there didn’t seem to be any abnormalities. In-gong smiled and replied,

“It is all over. Gerard has been defeated and everyone is safe.”

He told her the most important things. Caitlin was relieved and stretched her body. Then her eyes flashed and a very embarrassed expression formed on her face. In-gong realized why and hurriedly reassured her,

“Focus on your aura. Thanks to the Moonlight Extract, both Noona and I have gained a new power.”

Chris and Caitlin were geniuses and sensitive to the flow of aura. It was obvious that she would be surprised at her aura which was suddenly different.

Caitlin closed her eyes after In-gong spoke and focused on her aura. A dark blue light rose from Caitlin’s entire body.

After a minute or so, Caitlin’s eyes glowed as she opened them again. In-gong playfully poured a little bit of his aura into their joined hands.

“How is it?”

Naturally, Caitlin would have noticed the Starlight Core inside her as well as In-gong.

Indeed, Caitlin laughed brightly like the moon. She exclaimed with her distinctive shining eyes,

“Great!”

&

In-gong and Caitlin sat facing each other on the bed. After sitting up straight, the two of them held each other’s hands and closed their eyes, breathing deeply.

In-gong increased the level of Divine Sura Authority from three to five before circulating his aura. He had to use all the newly acquired skill points gained from defeating Gerard, but it was worth it.

A white aura rose from In-gong’s body. In-gong circulated his aura in the usual way, then the stream of aura from the Moonlight Core joined the cycle naturally.

The amount of aura hadn’t increased much. However, In-gong was able to manipulate his aura more freely. The pathways for the aura were wider and deeper, allowing the auras from the two hearts to flow faster than before. This also meant a stronger explosive force.

However, this wasn’t the end. The present change was only when In-gong was alone.

Right now, Caitlin was in front of him.

The Moonlight Core responded to the Starlight Core in Caitlin. The two auras unconsciously started to become one.

Caitlin’s dark blue aura headed to In-gong and In-gong’s white aura wrapped around Caitlin.

It wasn’t about two hearts now but four hearts.

If he had to name it, it would be a quad-core.

There was no backlash despite the fact that different auras were being mixed together. After receiving Caitlin’s aura, he felt the depths of Divine Beast Authority and Divine Sura Authority increasing.

After accepting In-gong’s aura, Caitlin started acquiring Divine Sura Authority that In-gong hadn’t found a way to teach.

The two of them couldn’t help smiling. The mixture of the white and dark blue auras started circulating vigorously from the quad-core.

Their auras were getting stronger and their aura growth rate was much faster and better than before.

In-gong and Caitlin felt great joy; it was a type of pleasure.

“I don’t know but it seems to be great.”

One hour had passed since In-gong and Caitlin started circulating their aura. Carack spoke while popping foods that digested well into his mouth and Green Wind watched the two people with a relaxed expression.

“It is the power of beautiful life.”

Daphne and Karma nodded and agreed with Green Wind’s words. The two druids could feel the power of life that was the essence of aura.

Everyone was pleased and full of admiration, but there was one person who complained.

“It is good, but do they need to practice as soon as they wake up?”

Felicia muttered, frowning. She had come to see both of them after hearing that they had woken up, but she couldn’t even say a word.

It seemed good that both of them were smiling while training, but she couldn’t help feeling upset.

“It is a good thing, Princess. And this is delicious. It is great cooking.”

Felicia smiled as Carack praised the porridge that she made but sighed and gave up.

Some time passed by and just as everyone but Green Wind was thinking about going back…

“I expected it, but it is even more amazing.”

It was Chris who had appeared at the door. He had appeared without any aides and turned to Felicia.

“How long has it been since they went into this state?”

“Roughly two hours.”

It was Carack who replied since he had been there since the beginning.

“Really? Then I should stop them.”

“Huh? Can you do it? Isn’t it bad to break the aura when they are training like this?”

Felicia was aghast and grabbed Chris’ hand to stop him, but he shook his head and replied,

“There is a way to break it naturally. You don’t have to worry.”

Moreover, Divine Beast Authority was something that could be practiced while walking, running and so on. If their aura was disrupted by being disturbed suddenly, it would be troublesome.

After reassuring Felicia, Chris raised his blue aura and struck In-gong and Caitlin’s hands. Once Chris’ enormous power emerged, Felicia and everyone else had to realize Chris’ presence. It was the same for In-gong and Caitlin as well.

The aura around In-gong and Caitlin gradually weakened. The white and dark blue auras split apart and faded like they were scattered by the wind.

In-gong and Caitlin woke up at the same time. Chris greeted them with a large smile.

“Have you regained your consciousness?’

“Oppa!”

Caitlin stood up and rushed to Chris. Chris laughed as she hugged and babbled at him.

“You both had an amazing experience.”

Caitlin nodded from Chris’ arms and In-gong also smiled in agreement. Chris put Caitlin down and said,

“Now, both of you are conscious, so you should say something to Noonim. She has been sulking.”

Felicia’s eyes widened at Chris’ words. It was because Caitlin then dragged Felicia into a hug.

Felicia struggled for a bit, but Caitlin won eventually. In-gong told Felicia,

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Don’t speak nonsense.”

Felicia wanted to say more but she didn’t. Instead of teasing Felicia as usual, Chris gathered all eyes toward him again.

“This is a good sight, but I don’t have much time. I’ll tell you straight away.”

“What… is it?”

Felicia asked Chris in a tense and nervous voice.

Chris responded with a somewhat relaxed look.

“I am going back to the palace with the other lycanthropes today. It seems like we will be busy for a while.”

In fact, that answer had been expected to some extent. Although he was close to death, Gerard’s death was still uncertain. The question of who helped Gerard break out also needed to be addressed and the 4th Queen couldn’t leave the palace empty for too long.

Chris told In-gong,

“Once you meet Amita, return to the palace. Shouldn’t we meet before you return to the Demon King’s Palace? I will also hear the answer to the proposal then.”

Felicia’s eyes narrowed at the suggestion, but In-gong simply nodded.

“And Caitlin,”

Chris pointed at Caitlin. He gazed at Caitlin, who was still hugging Felicia, and declared,

“You should go with Shutra.”

“Eh?”

“I’m convinced after what I just saw. Right now, you need Shutra more than me. Additionally, you and Shutra are both stronger now.”

There was a variable in place called the Moonlight Core and Starlight Core. Furthermore, this was the territory of the lycanthropes, not the Demon KIng’s Palace. So, he didn’t need to hold Caitlin in his arms.

However, it was clear that Chris and Caitlin were unfamiliar with this. Since she had been born, Caitlin had always gone with Chris no matter where he went.

It had been a different story when they went to look for the Thunder Light Anvil. This wouldn’t be one or two days but at least a fortnight spent apart.

Caitlin hesitated to reply and Chris patted her head.

“It is just this time. You don’t have to worry.”

“Eung.”

Caitlin nodded. Chris laughed and looked back at In-gong.

“Shutra, take care of Caitlin.”

“I understand, Hyung Leave it to me.”

In-gong knocked on his chest. Then Felicia, who had been watching the series of conversations, protested loudly,

“Hey, shouldn’t you be asking me that instead of Shutra?”

Among the children of the demon king who were present, Felicia was the oldest.

Chris nodded with a serious expression and spoke to In-gong again,

“Shutra, look after Felicia noonim as well. Really, please.”

“Yes, Hyung.”

“Hey!”

Felicia protested at In-gong’s earnest answer and Caitlin quickly bit her lip to stop from laughing.

The carriage was moving.

It was a huge carriage drawn by six horses but only two people were inside.

Elaine Moonlight, queen of the lycanthropes and the demon king’s 4th queen, and her younger cousin, Ludwig, leader of the Blood Companions.

Elaine’s expression was very calm as she stared out the window. Ludwig asked without knowing,

“Is it okay to not be there when she wakes up?”

There was no need to ask about who he was talking about. Elaine, who turned and saw the impatience and resentment on Ludwig’s face, closed her eyes like she was enjoying the sunshine.

“You’ve already checked on her several times now. I waited to the limit, but Caitlin was a little late this time. It is unfortunate.”

‘Would she be awake by now? It would have been really nice if I could have seen her awake.’

In contrast to her rigid words, Elaine’s voice was full of uneasiness. Ludwig couldn’t understand Elaine, his lord and cousin. It wouldn’t have been a big deal if she had waited a few more hours.

Elaine opened her eyes and spoke with a mischievous smile that resembled Chris.

“Can you tell me the story now? I originally planned to start after returning to the palace.”

The task of Ludwig, leader of the Blood Companions, wasn’t just to be Elaine’s escort. He served simultaneously as Elaine’s secretary and adviser and always had to be mindful of the three roles that he played.

“I’ve found the body of the fake Gerard in the east. It is obviously a lycanthrope but everything else is unknown. As expected, he killed himself.”

He used suicide after all avenues of escape disappeared.

It was the most extreme and effective way to prevent information from leaking.

Elaine pressed a hand to her temple and said,

“Regardless of whether it is the fake’s own capacity or a magic weapon from support forces, the fake Gerard has shown enough power to turn our attention to him. Moreover, he committed suicide after being caught. This is obvious, but there has to be a big organization behind this.”

It wasn’t inside the lycanthrope kingdom. The organization intervening was clearly from the outside.

Elaine bit her lip before turning her head abruptly. Her trustworthy and handsome cousin, who had all the female maids at the palace pining after him, had a dog-like expression on his face.

“Why? Do you want to say something?”

“How have they known about him?”

Ludwig was more curious about that than the identity of the external forces.

How had they found out? The fact that Gerard had been trapped in the lowest level of the Grey Tower was a secret.

“The information that Gerard was in the lowest level of the Grey Tower was top secret. It has been a secret for over 200 years.”

Even those in the Grey Tower were unaware that Gerard had been there.

The secret had been perfect and no leaks had existed.

However, Elaine didn’t think so. She leaned on the window and shook her head gently.

“Hundreds of people died due to Gerard. It happened overnight and occurred inside the palace, but… there was a crowd. There is no perfect secret in this world. One day, it would be discovered.”

In the end, she seemed to be talking more to herself, than to Ludwig.

Elaine’s expression was detached, but Ludwig was different. He remembered Caitlin and had to clench his teeth to stop the words from coming out.

Elaine laughed. She returned her cousin’s thoughts to the original story.

“They wouldn’t have freed Gerard for no reason. It would benefit them to harm the lycanthropes, but he kept his mind after being freed. Why did they let Gerard go and do his own thing?”

The most valuable use of Gerard was the fact that he was the former heir to the lycanthrope throne as well as Elaine’s brother.

They could use Gerard to cause confusion about the legitimacy of succession.

Yet none of those things seemed to be happening. Moreover, they didn’t control Gerard after he escaped. Perhaps, the organization had set Gerard’s actions into motion, but Elaine’s female intuition didn’t think that was the case.

Ludwig was much simpler.

“I feel that Gerard is alive.”

Disregarding the relationship with the external force, the fact that Gerard had fled was uncomfortable.

Elaine nodded.

“He is really tough. He survived 20 years ago as well. I should have killed him at that time, but I fell into my bad habit.”

Ludwig once again thought that he had made a mistake. So, this time, he was the one who changed the topic.

“What do you think of 9th Prince?”

The switch was sudden, but Elaine just smiled. She knew why her loyal royal guard had changed the subject.

“Do you like him? I was quite surprised since I had seen him once before. At that time… how should I say it? I almost felt like he had no soul. Well, that was in the old days.”

It had been 7 years since she had last seen him. It had been a difficult time for the 9th Prince. Maybe Elaine had been mistaken.

Elaine touched her chin and nodded.

“Ludwig, you saw him. What are your thoughts?”

Ludwig had been watching In-gong and Elaine while they had been talking. Regardless of how much Chris trusted the 9th Prince, it was absurd to let the defenseless Caitlin stay there with no supervision.

“I don’t know what I saw, but…”

“But?”

Ludwig mumbled with a somewhat embarrassed face.

“It seems like he really cares about Chris and Caitlin.”

He had seen it when In-gong looked at Caitlin.

Elaine laughed at her cousin’s reply. It was just like Chris’ laugh.

“That isn’t what I’m talking about. Do you think he can really become the demon king?”

“He isn’t a lycanthrope. I don’t want to be hit in the back of the head.”

Despite all of this, 9th Prince was still an outsider. It was like letting someone else inside the cuckoo’s nest where babies had just been born.

Ludwig realized that his posture was uncomfortable and fixed it. Elaine was still smiling when he turned to face her and asked,

“Does Queen really think that 9th Prince can become the demon king?”

“Chris thinks so. So, I think so as well.”

“Your Majesty.”

Instead of responding, Elaine stretched out a hand toward Ludwig. He sighed and pulled out a metal box containing cigarettes. Elaine received the cigarette with a satisfied expression and lit it up with magic. She then said,

“I know the demon king. I don’t think I know all of him, but there is something I am sure about.”

The demon king, Mitra…

King of the sura and the strongest person in the Demon World.

“There is always a reason for his behaviour and that reason is far from his emotions.”

Elaine stopped talking as she inhaled the smoke again. She remembered when she had last been with him, a few years ago.

“He isn’t someone who would disrupt the court gathering twice for no reason. He must have seen something in 9th Prince that we couldn’t see.”

No, she had probably seen it. She didn’t know what it was, but she had clearly seen something.

Ludwig shook his head like it was ridiculous.

“They are still father and son, so we still don’t know. His attitude towards his children might have changed as he aged.

A father calling the name of his son wasn’t that special. If the unlikely son suddenly showed some potential, it was natural for his parents to cheer him on.

Elaine stared at Ludwig with a bemused expression and laughed.

“You have always liked children. You played well with Chris and Caitlin when they were young.”

“The two of them are still young.”

Ludwig said stiffly. Elaine pinched her cousin’s cheek and said,

“The demon king isn’t like that. He is a monster of rationality. It is obvious that there is emotion, but it works differently from us.”

Elaine put out her cigarette. She looked up reflexively at Ludwig and asked,

“Among the children of the demon king… Yes, for example, if Zephyr became strong enough to kill the demon king and inherit the throne, what do you think the demon king will say before he is killed?

“This bastard? Are you immoral? Won’t you be cursed?”

Ludwig spoke directly and Elaine laughed again. Then Ludwig muttered with a red face,

“That is a common reaction.”

“Yes, it is common. However, the demon king’s reaction would probably be uncommon. He would probably be pleased at the birth of a demon king more powerful than himself. He is that type of person.”

The strongest man in the Demon World who had ascended to the position of demon king…

Anyone strong enough to defeat him deserved to gain the position of demon king.

Ludwig looked like it was strange and Elaine nodded.

“It is like that. Chris can’t become demon king, so I am thinking of supporting 9th Prince.”

He was someone who the demon king found special. He had caused the demon king to take such actions.

“But as you know, the demon king has a few more wives and they probably know the demon king as well as I do. The 3rd Queen… I wonder about Sylvia’s reaction. She might get on the same carriage as us.”

The princess of the dark elves, Sylvia Doomblade, didn’t belong to any of the factions. Just like her children Silvan and Felicia, she was known for avoiding involvement in all matters related to the demon king.

However, it wasn’t because the dark elves were weak. She was like the previous Elaine — she simply didn’t want to take the risk on a low gamble.

It was the same with Ludwig.

“I don’t think it is too bad to take a step back.”

“That might be the case. Maybe I am taking a risk, but I believe the future in which the 9th Prince becomes the demon king is the best for us.”

This was because it was impossible to establish a good relationship with any of the other demon king candidates.

Elaine looked out the window again. She gazed at a distant place and recalled Caitlin. She whispered in a slight voice,

“The Demon World is a world of the strong… Eventually, everything will go according to the will of the strongest. I also like this fact.”

The carriage moved forward. The palace of the lycanthropes wasn’t far away.

&

The afternoon that In-gong and Caitlin woke up, Chris left the royal house and headed to the palace.

And the next morning, In-gong also left the house with his party. The direction was the opposite of the one that Chris headed in.

They travelled together with lycanthrope soldiers until they passed the lycanthropes’ territory. Once outside the territory, only one lycanthrope ranger joined as a guide.

His name was Robin and he was a wild boar lycanthrope. Robin was a competent ranger who had almost all of the western area’s terrain in his head. He was also the male companion who would help restore the gender balance of In-gong’s group after Caitlin and Seira joined.

‘There is something wrong.’

While the male to female ratio was extremely unbalanced, this was common to see in novels, cartoons, movies, games, animations and so on. However, the most popular person wasn’t the protagonist but the person next to him.

Carack was sitting talking to Karma and Daphne while occasionally looking into Seira’s and Delia’s eyes. In-gong then turned his attention to Caitlin and Felicia. The two of them were sleeping on each other, in a loving display of a sibling relationship.

A warm smile formed involuntarily on his face as he gazed at the two of them, then he touched the seat of the carriage he was riding. Chris had given them a carriage that was very big, durable and cozy.

‘Maybach would be good right now.’

He had left the draco at the Demon King’s Palace. If he had known that they would keep moving after Thunderdoom Fortress, In-gong would’ve brought him.

In-gong finally glanced at Robin who was sitting next to Seira. He looked uncomfortable about sitting in the carriage and opened up awkwardly when he felt In-gong’s gaze on him.

“Once we reach the Twin Bridge, we’ll have to get down from the carriage and walk. 9th Prince should rest right now.”

“I’ve been sleeping too much over the last few days. What about Spider Forest? Have you been there before?”

He really didn’t feel like sleeping.

Robin nodded to In-gong’s question and replied,

“I was there six months ago. My overall impression is that it is very calm. It is a very peaceful place because there are no beasts or monsters nearby. It is a little bit different if we enter deep into Spider Forest… but the area near the road will be smooth.”

It was quite a good story. Even in In-gong’s memory, Spider Forest hadn’t had have any events. It was a peaceful land without any monsters or incidents.

‘A peaceful place.’

Then three days later, the party arrived at Spider Forest to hear the cries of beasts, the roars of monsters and a terrible aura covering the whole forest.

Robin was greatly confused but the rest of the party was different. Carack gazed at In-gong and he looked back with the same expression.

“W-why?”

In-gong stuttered and Carack gave a long sigh. Felicia laughed bitterly like she had expected it.

Caitlin held In-gong’s hand and spoke in a warm voice like she was trying to comfort him, instead of condemn him.

“Shutra is indeed amazing.”

Was this a comfort or an instant kill?

In-gong stared at the Spider Forest.