The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 292: Come to the Lair, we have free real estate for everyone!

Chapter 292: Come to the Lair, we have free real estate for everyone!

"Whoaa..." I stared at the messenger bird in awe, even after it dispersed and turned into a letter.

That was the skill I wanted to learn from the druid. It was a homing message, so it could find the recipient wherever that person was. It also didn’t have to be in the shape of a bird; it could be in any shape of animals, including the four-legged one, or even those without legs and aquatic creatures. But the bird was more popular because it could traverse the distance faster--there were fewer obstacles in the sky after all.

And good thing Amarein chose a flying shape, since it came right when we were riding Vrida. As the wyvern flew toward the cliffside, I opened the letter eagerly. It was written in beautiful penmanship and common human language.

Ah...I should hurry and learn the language used in the realm of nature too!

Hmm...was this why these three realms couldn’t get along? Because of a language barrier? Would things become better if everyone used the same language, just as the people of the Old Age used to speak in the Old Tongue?

Oh, this was not the time to think about that. I looked down and started to read the letter.

__________________________________

My beloved nephew,

Valen

The knowledge regarding Lord Natha taking you to be his betrothed was already in my possession. Nevertheless, it is rather a surprise for me that the ceremony will be held that quickly. Needless to say, the Chief Counsel is in an uproar upon this news.

But of course, as your family, I would like to congratulate you on making this decision with great stride. I wish nothing but happiness upon you, my dear Valen.

Regarding your initial inquiry, I have to regrettably inform you that it is not something I am allowed to divulge through a letter.

Thus, although it might be impertinent for me to do so, would you be so generous as to pay the land of your kin a visit?

Your aunt that has been missing you,

Amarein

__________________________________

Oh, so she wanted me to visit the realm of nature? Or rather, she wanted me to visit the druid tribe, right? It felt like...

I looked up at Natha, recalling our conversation before the letter arrived; about him going to the druid kingdom to ask for my hand in marriage. Although Amarein told me to come due to my question about the queen’s conception, I had a feeling that it was also because the Chief Counsel was in ’uproar’ as she put it.

In that case, was this invitation just for me? Or also for my betrothed?

"Uhh...should we...?" I asked Natha, who was also reading the letter from behind.

"We should," he nodded easily, but I could see his gaze was sincere. "I did tell them about my intention to marry you, but at that time, I hadn’t even properly proposed, so it was still just an ’intention’."

Ah, right. It must have been during the time I was unconscious for three days. He did go to the druid tribe to ask for help, and I presumed he would have to tell them about the nature of our relationship while doing so. After all, he wouldn’t want to deceive them when he was the one who was desperate for a way to cure me.

Following our conversation earlier, there was only one reason if Natha accompanied me there, right?

"Are you...going there to ask for my hand?" I asked quietly, feeling bashful of my own thoughts and words.

"No, I already asked you," he replied with a smile, cupping my lower face and stroking my chin. "Do you need their permission?"

The reply came out of my mouth without hesitation. "No."

While they were indeed my kin, and I felt a certain closeness with Amarein that I couldn’t feel from anyone else, they were still no more than a distant relative--especially because, except for Amarein--I had never met or talked to them.

But, even if they were my direct blood relatives, even if they were my family--my siblings, for example--it wouldn’t affect my decision to marry Natha. After all, it was us who would take the journey, so no one but us should make the decision.

So yeah, I didn’t need their permission.

He gave me a satisfied smile, and kissed the crown of my head. "That being said, you’re still their long-lost royal descendant," he said. "It’s only right for me to give them some respect."

Hmm...true. I remembered how angry Arta and Malta were at Lesta. It wasn’t as much about his decision as it was about how he didn’t tell them before proceeding with it.

Of course, the druids didn’t have the same rights because, unlike Malta to Lesta, they weren’t there to raise me, protect me, and give me the love a child would need.

Still, just as Natha said, I was their...prince--although it was so embarrassing to admit that. I was their lost child. If even the elves had so much attachment to me just because I was half a child of nature, I could only imagine the druid’s sentiment as my rightful kin. Especially because druids were in a close-knit community.

"I don’t want you to have trouble with your kin later regarding this, especially when you still haven’t received your training," Natha added.

"Hmm...I’m sure Amarein will still train me no matter what,"

"She might," he agreed. "But without the Chief Counsel’s blessing, it might be hard for us to obtain the clue regarding your great-grandmother’s conception."

Ah...

Right--something like that, which had been a guarded secret for a century, would only be kept in the hand of the most important figure in the druid community.

My gaze shifted to the place beyond the hill and the tower. "So...our next visit is to the realm of nature?"

"We can also treat it as some kind of date," he whispered, and the idea, which was exciting enough as it was, became even more wonderful.

I giggled and reached up to pull him into a kiss, but Vrida let out a screech that sounded like a grumble. "Ah--sorry, Vrida; we ignored you too much," I laughed and stroked the side of the wyvern’s neck as an apology. "Have you found a spot that you like?"

The screeching sound this time was more cheerful. Following Natha’s instruction, I told Vrida to fly to the highest cliff so we could see the forest better--or, if he liked the cliff, that would be fine too. Although...the keeper might need to struggle for a little bit.

"Oh, but you’re okay with the keeper living in the Lair?" I asked Natha as Vrida started to land.

"It’s not like we’ll be living here right now, so there’s plenty of time to see if she is trustworthy," Natha replied nonchalantly. "In the meantime, Doun can take care of your wyvern every time you bring her here."

Oh, Doun would be pleased! He looked so excited about Vrida the last time I told him about it. And since he had the blood of the child of nature, I was sure he could handle a wyvern.

I mean, he could even handle the forest, so...

Vrida landed safely at the top of the cliff, and the first thing she did was inhale the air deeply into her lungs. She purred in delight, and her tail even slammed into the ground like a waging dog.

"Do you like it here?" I laughed and patted her side. "It’s nice, isn’t it? The air is fresher, and there’s so much mana!"

Vrida was usually a calm and elegant wyvern, but right now, she looked as happy as Jade in front of a candy. "Hmm...would you like to fly around the forest and see if there’s a place that you like?"

Vrida nuzzled my head in response, and, after laughing from the ticklish feeling, I let Vrida fly around by herself. The last time she could fly freely without a rider was inside D’Ara’s abode, so she must have been waiting for it, judging from how fast she took off.

I watched Vrida fly towards the forest for a while, before turning my sight to the cliff. It was the first time I came to this place, and it had a whole different vibe than the rest of the estate. Since it was high and filled with jagged surfaces, there was a scary vibe, as if a vengeful spirit would come at any time. Fortunately, I had Natha with me.

Clutching into his hand, I looked down and to the side, at the hard stone forming the whole structure. I closed my eyes, reaching inside my soul, and calling out the contract.

"How about you, Ignis?" a flame danced on my shoulder, in the shape of a little gecko. "Do you want to have your own cave here too? We can connect it to the Lair, and you can be as hot as you want."

The Salamander hummed, and the flame grew brighter for a second. "Certainly, a natural terrain is better than the artificial room the Nightmare made for me."

Just as he promised, Natha had made a cave for Ignis, completed with a nice hot tub filled with magma. But due to the fire hazard, he made it inside my new training chamber in the Colosseum--which was nice, it said, but fake nonetheless.

"Let’s have you take a look by yourself next time," I stroked the flaming projection, which nodded once before flickering away.

"It’s like you’re planning your retirement," Natha commented, voice light and teasing. "Making sure everyone has their place, huh?"

"Well, they are my responsibility, after all."

Natha chuckled and patted my head, which made me feel like I was being praised. As I giggled in response, my eyes flew toward the land beyond the cliff. The place where Vrida landed was one of the highest peaks, excluding the tower. But even if I stood on the roof of the tower and looked over this way, I wouldn’t be able to see anything clearly.

I had wished I could glimpse upon the land of nature, but what I could see was forest and meadows with no end until the line touched the horizon. I couldn’t spot any village or city even after flowing mana to my eyes.

The cause, however, was simple. It was because of the barrier between realms. While we could traverse through it, we wouldn’t be able to see anything beyond that. If I wanted to see what the land of nature looked like, I would have to physically be there.

Too bad.

So I just looked down; the area directly around the border itself still could be seen normally. There was a ravine down there, a bit of a marsh, and another forest. There were no stairs to the cliff, so one would need to climb the steep wall of stone if they wanted to reach this place. If someone wanted to come to the Lair from this side, there was a whole obstacle race in front of them.

Hmm...I wonder which path the Hero and his companion would take.

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