Rearing Demons
Chapter 45: Exiled

Chapter 45: Exiled

Velmira stood in front of Karo protectively, her eyes glaring at Aglazeth, who had suddenly appeared.

"What do you want?" she asked with a glare.

"Me?" Aglazeth smirked a little. "Well, you tell me what it is you want. Trying to become a Princess while there’s already a Prince?"

"I am not trying to do anything," she said, her body tense. Aglazeth was a powerful Prince, one she had no hope of competing against. "As for the title of Princess, I don’t want it."

"Tsk tsk tsk." He shook his head and landed on the ground, walking closer. "You know that it’s not a decision just anyone gets to make." He neared her, standing only a breath away.

With his hand, he tapped her fair chin, smiling. "I need you to come with me."

"Get your filthy hands off me." In disgust, she pushed his hand away. "I will not be coming with you."

"You don’t have a choice in the matter." Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her long white hair, lifting her into the air. "Don’t forget, this whole area is my territory."

"Let go, you bastard!" She kicked her legs, but it did nothing. She couldn’t even budge the Prince.

Aglazeth tossed her onto the bed, then turned his gaze toward Karo. "So, you’re the human she’s in love with?" He drew closer to Karo, who seemed paralyzed by fear.

"You’d better not touch him, Aglazeth!" From the bed, she yelled at him angrily, pushing off and rushing toward them.

Ignoring her, Aglazeth grabbed Karo’s throat, lifting him into the air. "What about this human do you find so special?" He scrutinized him, unable to see anything noteworthy. "If you really want a human, I have a perfect one for you back in my castle."

Compared to someone like Celis, Aglazeth found Karo bland. There was nothing eye-catching about him—whether it be looks, strength, or aura. They all seemed mediocre.

"I don’t care." Finally reaching them, she gripped Aglazeth’s arm, trying to pry it off Karo. "Let him go!"

"Fine." Rolling his eyes, he allowed Karo to fall to the ground.

Velmira also fell, immediately rubbing Karo’s shoulder while he coughed and tried to regain his breath. "Are you all right?"

She looked at him with soft eyes, something Karo found extremely difficult to understand.

Was she not joking? Is she really into me? From a single interaction? He was stunned by this, but so far, her protectiveness and care—though it had been brief—seemed genuine.

"I am... fine." Clearing his throat, he answered her with a bitter smile.

"Listen, princess of filth—"

"It’s Velmira!" She glared at him from below.

"All right. Velmira, come with me willingly, or I’ll drag you back." Rubbing the back of his neck, he stretched a little. "I’ve done enough dragging today, so don’t make me do it again. My hands aren’t so polite right now."

"Why should I follow you?" she asked, annoyance and anger colouring her tone. "I’m staying in my region without entering others, as I promised."

Seeing her refusing him and continuing to argue, a hint of distaste filled Aglazeth’s eyes. Reaching out, he grabbed her by the nape. "Let’s go. I don’t have time for this."

"Let go!" She latched onto his wrists, trying to pry them loose, but he didn’t budge.

"If you keep struggling, I’ll kill this lover of yours." Suddenly, an eerie bone appeared from Aglazeth’s palm, morphing into a long sword. "Follow me, and we’ll complete the Ascension Ritual for you."

"I have decided not to partake in this ritual! I want to be free, unbound—"

"Uncrowned?" Aglazeth glared at her. "You’re asking to be an Uncrowned demon? An exile?"

"...Yes." Though she hesitated, she nodded. "I don’t want to be bound to any place, nor serve the Kings and Lords of Zulmasharr."

"You realize what it means to be an exile, right?" He looked at her with discontent. "Your creations will be hunted, and all demons aside from the titled will try to kill you on sight—even your own kind." Titled demons could

kill her too, though they seldom bothered.

"I understand," she said with a sigh.

Being a Princess had never been part of her goals. Though it granted great prestige, power, and control, it was also a shackle. A titled demon lived and died for Zulmasharr.

"You’re a disgrace to intelligence." Throwing her to the ground, he glared in disgust. "Well, Velmira the Filthy, that shall be your new title." Suddenly, on his palm, a glowing red mark appeared. "Since this is your desire, you’ll now be marked as an Exile and stripped of all previous titles and authority."

He harshly pressed his palm to her neck. "ARG!"

Velmira howled in pain, the sound of burning flesh echoing in the bright yet messy room.

Karo, despite his fear of both parties and his revulsion toward Velmira’s true form, found himself unable to tolerate her screams.

With a wave of his hand, a sword appeared, and he rushed at Aglazeth. "Let go of her!" With a swift swing, he aimed for his throat—yet the moment it struck, it felt like hitting metal.

He felt his hands tremble under the sword’s vibration. Glancing at the blade, there wasn’t a single scratch on Aglazeth. If anything, his own sword had chipped and bent.

"Boy, you’d best sit still while I’m in a generous mood," Aglazeth muttered with a frown. "I’m leaving you whole because she asked. Don’t push your luck."

Karo gritted his teeth but then felt a soft hand grab his wrist. Turning, he saw Velmira clutching him weakly. "D-don’t worry... th-this i-is noth-thing..."

A frown crossed his face. Seeing someone in such agony and being unable to help grated on him.

Though he didn’t love or even like Velmira, she had tried to protect him, and she had confessed. He felt a small sense of responsibility for her current state.

With her holding his wrist, several excruciating minutes passed until Aglazeth at last removed his hand from her neck.

"Now then, if there’s nothing else, get out of my territory," he spat before vanishing instantly.

"Are you all right?" With the powerful demon gone, Karo quickly knelt to check on her.

He noted the fleshy wound on her once-fair throat, now burned and bleeding.

"We have to leave soon." Weakly clinging to his arm, she looked at him with concern.

"What do you mean?" he asked in surprise.

"My demons... they’ll sense this mark soon and begin their assault."

"I can handle a few Zorath," Karo said with a hint of confidence. "I’m a Luminous Heart cultivator, after all, and a pretty strong one."

"No, no. You don’t get it," she muttered, her body going limp. "I have three Gralith demons under my command—very powerful, not ordinary Gralith."

Hearing this, he frowned. Despite being able to fight a single Gralith, dealing with two simultaneously was another issue altogether—even one would be tough enough.

"You go. I’m strong enough to protect myself...for now." At her words, he hesitantly rose, intending to leave, but glancing back at her pitiful appearance and the wound on her throat, he hesitated.

Damn it, he thought. She did try to save me—and she claims she likes me. Is it really okay to abandon her?What if she’s tricking me?But what if she isn’t? Would I ditch someone who just risked themselves for me?

Confusion churned in his mind. He closed his eyes, trying to calm the tumult.

Velmira dragged herself along the floor toward the large bed, the mark having sapped her strength; recovering would take time. As she tried climbing onto the bed, she suddenly felt an arm seize hers and help her up.

Turning her head, she stared at him in shock. Right now, she was weaker than a Nulith Imp, maybe even a sick mortal. Just mounting the bed was a trial.

"You haven’t gone?" She had assumed he’d leave. Though she didn’t want that, she knew he wasn’t interested in her, given his repeated rejections.

"How could I?" he said bitterly, helping her sit on the bed. "For now, I’ll try to protect you. We’ll figure the rest out later." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. To think I’d risk my life for a demon—the Mother of Pus—Velmira, no less.