Rearing Demons
Chapter 85: Duke of Freau

Chapter 85: Duke of Freau

The girls walked around the garden, admiring the various sights.

It was a beautifully designed forest, teeming with small critters and birds flitting about, with odd statues and sculptures scattered here and there.

Large trees clustered in certain areas, creating unique scenes among them. Wooden sculptures of people engaged in various activities stood between the trunks, as if frozen in time.

"Look, I’m falling, catch me!" Ley pretended to fall into the arms of one of the wooden sculptures, laughing loudly.

Xia approached a sculpture posed as if dancing and grabbed its arms, pretending to waltz. "My first dance, and with such a lovely partner." She swayed playfully, laughing, but her eyes kept flickering toward Yur.

No matter what, he never seemed to smile.

He wasn’t gloomy, just exceptionally calm—so unaffected that it almost felt unnatural. If anything, he looked bored.

"Ley, I’ll be right back." Xia took a deep breath and strode toward Yur.

"Huh?" Ley, still caught up in her own world, looked over with interest. "Let’s see what happens." She giggled, watching from afar while trying to appear inconspicuous.

For someone like her—who longed for love but believed it was out of reach—seeing others pursue it fascinated her.

Xia walked up the small hill where Yur stood. The whole garden felt like a world of its own, brimming with life.

"Hello, Sir Yur." She approached him with an awkward smile.

Yur glanced at her and nodded.

He was busy reflecting on his life, but even that was proving difficult.

"Are you not enjoying yourself?" she asked, hesitantly stepping a little closer, but not too close.

Yur’s calm gaze swept over her before he turned back toward the sky. "I am here to protect you. That is all."

"That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

Yur didn’t respond. He had no interest in wasting time on insignificant things.

She, who wasn’t even a cultivator, wasn’t worth his attention.

Seeing herself ignored so blatantly, Xia frowned, nearly pouting.

The feeling was foreign to her. Nobles always sought to woo her. Whether because of her beauty or background, handsome men had continuously vied for her attention.

Some had tried to ignore her before, but that was always a ploy, a calculated move to make her chase them.

She could tell the difference.

But Yur?

He wasn’t ignoring her to get a reaction. He genuinely didn’t care. She wasn’t even air to him—she was less than air.

That stung.

Well, screw him too.

Annoyed, she turned and stormed back toward Ley.

"How was it?" Ley asked, smirking teasingly.

"Forget it." Xia huffed. "Let’s leave this stupid garden. I’m bored."

"What happened?" Ley blinked, surprised by her frustration. Normally, Xia was calm and unbothered, yet here she was, genuinely upset.

"It’s nothing. Let’s just go." Frowning, she grabbed Ley’s hand and dragged her away.

"Master, I believe she approached you out of interest," Quin observed as she watched the girls leave.

"I know," Yur said, descending the hill, following them. "So what?"

"Are you not interested?" she asked. "She is a beautiful girl."

"I’ll ask again. So what?" Yur turned his gaze toward her, his expression calm yet intimidating.

"...Nothing." For some reason, his gaze—though steady—made her shudder.

[Afloria Quest: Conquer Princess Xia!]

[As the only Ashkavaal, spreading your seeds is—]

Zul, I don’t need a quest like this. Yur frowned. I have no interest, nor am I willing to restrict myself for anyone.

[Host does not understand. With a partner, the host can access specific types of rituals! She is merely a tool for gaining more power.]

What kinds of rituals? Yur wondered. I can just do things with Quin and Olive if needed, no?

Yur wasn’t ignorant. Despite not feeling love or lust—at least not yet—he understood what they entailed.

Mal had countless partners, countless lovers.

Through those memories, Yur knew everything; how procreation worked, how to seduce, manipulate, and everything in between.

[Afloria Quest: Conquer Princess Xia!]

[As the only Ashkavaal, spreading your seed is vital to growth. Through offspring, an Ashkavaal can unlock more rituals and gain strong, loyal combatants!]

[Reward: 5000 Human Points & Ritual of the Mark!]

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Ritual of the Mark

Beings destined to bear the offspring of an Ashkavaal will be marked. Their lives will be linked to the Ashkavaal—should the host die, they will perish as well.

The offspring produced by a Marked will possess a hybrid bloodline.

|——————————————————————|

What does that mean for me?

Why should he care about producing more Ashkavaal?

[The host’s offspring can complete quests on their behalf and learn rituals. Any abilities, skills, or knowledge they gain will also be acquired by the host.]

Hearing this, Yur rubbed his chin. This was very beneficial. There was much to learn, and he didn’t have enough time.

He wanted freedom, complete and utter freedom—but he was learning too slowly. He lacked rituals. Even the ones he did know weren’t all that useful, except for the Ritual of Withering Chains, which he was still mastering.

Alright, but how many can I mark?

If this was as valuable as it seemed, he would mark as many as possible and produce countless tools.

[Host cannot choose whom to mark. Your blood finds them.]

[So far, only Velmira and Xia are markable.]

Velmira? Yur rubbed his chin, nodding in understanding.

[Warning: The Ritual of the Mark is extremely dangerous. The survival rate is low. Most who are marked will not live. Be cautious.]

That’s their problem. Yur didn’t care about risks, especially if they didn’t affect him.

If a potential candidate died, he would simply find another. All he needed was one that could bear him children—over and over again.

Velmira is still useful to me, so I won’t risk her. But Xia... she is useless. She can be my first test.

Velmira was too valuable to gamble. She was powerful, experienced, and knowledgeable—more so than even him.

Her usefulness hadn’t run its course yet.

"Quin, help me get closer to Xia." The sudden order caught Quin off guard.

Didn’t he just not care? The abrupt change was shocking, but she nodded. "She is already interested in Master. The process will be easy."

"Good." Since the quest required him to conquer Xia before receiving the ritual, Yur couldn’t just force the process.

He also couldn’t simply intimidate or control her—that wouldn’t count.

This is going to be tricky. Glancing at Quin, Yur spoke as he walked. "Help me get alone with Xia more."

Then, he spoke to Zul. Generate lines that will convince her.

[Understood.]

"Understood!"

Both Zul and Quin answered in unison.

————————————————————————

Standing in the large throne room, Yur kept his gaze calm as the King approached him, holding a golden sword and a golden badge.

"Yur..."

"Ashkavaal," he finished the King’s sentence, to which the King nodded. Though the surname was unusual, the King didn’t question it too much.

"Yur Ashkavaal, I appoint you as the second Duke of the Freau Mortal Kingdom!" The King handed Yur the sword and clipped the badge onto his tunic. "As the second duke of this kingdom, you shall be appointed the Eastern region!"

Dozens of people filled the room, though Yur only recognized two—Renri and Julian.

[Quest Complete!]

[Reward: 200 Human Points!]

[Human Points: 2645]

[Demon Points: 10,434]

Once the ceremony ended, nobles quickly swarmed Yur, eager to introduce themselves.

"Duke Yur, you are very young—how promising!"

"My daughter is beautiful. Perhaps the Duke is looking for a wife?"

"Where are you from, Duke Yur?"

They bombarded him with questions, but Yur simply walked past them, ignoring every single one.

Those who tried to speak further found their mouths unable to open, as if invisible stitches had sealed their lips shut.

Without another glance, Yur left the throne room, Julian following close behind. The rest remained where they were, some in shock, others simmering with anger.

Many grumbled but dared not speak. In Freau, the King’s authority was absolute. Not only was he powerful, but he was also dominant; none could match him.

"Yur, wait." Julian called out, chasing after him.

Yur turned his head, his expression unreadable. "What?"

"Congratulations." Julian extended his hand, offering a handshake, but Yur didn’t return the gesture.

"For what? This was owed to me," he said simply.

He had won the bet, beaten Julian, and claimed the title. Nothing more, nothing less.

Scratching his chin at Yur’s bluntness, Julian retracted his hand. "You really have a way with words, don’t you?"

"I simply speak the truth," Yur shrugged. "Anyway, I wanted to ask about the Eastern region. Where is it?"

"That?" Julian pulled out a map of Nor and pointed to a territory far from the main city. "As a Mortal Kingdom, we hold land all over Nor, and the Eastern region is located here. It’s collectively owned by the neighbouring kingdoms."

"Alright. I’m assuming you want me to protect this region?" Yur asked.

"Eventually, but not yet." Julian shook his head. "The Eastern region isn’t vital to us in any way. In fact, it’s well-maintained and located in a safe area."

"Okay." Yur nodded.

"Now that you’re a duke, there’s a mansion prepared for you," Julian continued with a smile. "Would you like to move there or remain in the castle?"

Yur considered it for a moment. For now, the Royal Hall was being scavenged by Olive. As a Tri Maid, she was permitted access to that area, and he had given her a task. Until she completed it, there was no real need for him to stay in the castle.

"What about my guard duties?" he asked.

"Ley and Xia can move into your mansion," Julian said. "It’s large enough to accommodate hundreds. We’ll also send their tutors there to continue their lessons."

"Sure." Yur didn’t particularly care. Freau was just a stop along his journey. His real goal was still the Fiend Devouring Sect.

"Great, I’ll let the girls know." Julian disappeared from sight, leaving Yur standing alone once more.