The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 55: Everyone needs to face their dark past...

Chapter 55: Everyone needs to face their dark past...

"Huh...it’s you?" the next day—or rather, the next evening—Natha’s messenger came, and it was a familiar person, I mean, demon.

Wearing a robe and a human disguise, they had a male appearance, but I knew the demon form was genderless. But I’d just assume he was a male since he disguised as one. Anyway, he was the spy Natha planted in the kingdom, the one I chased and cornered to send my desperate letter to the Demon Lord.

I guessed Natha sent this one because I was more or less familiar with him?

He came after I finished my dinner, waiting on standby outside the balcony door with a luxurious box in his hands. He opened the box and politely showed me the content, which was an old-looking scroll protected by preservation magic.

I opened the scroll to glance at the content for a bit, just to see that it indeed contained the royal cultivation method. But I could peruse the content later since there was something more important right now.

"Did Na—His Lordship tell you?" I asked first, to make sure.

He nodded, eyes still stayed gazing at the floor instead of me. "Please give me your order, Young Master,"

He was kneeling on the floor, while I was seated on the armchair, and it was quite awkward for me. I was used to being called that, but this was the first time someone kneeled in servitude in front of me, and he refused to do otherwise even after I asked him to.

I guessed...that was his setting?

Sighing internally, I gave him my first order. "First, tell me your name,"

I knew the name he used while disguising himself as a human, but I didn’t think it was appropriate to call him that.

"You may call me Heraz, Young Master."

"Hmm...alright, Heraz, the second one is...please accept my apology,"

Finally, for the first time since entering the room, he looked up. It was shielded by the robe, but I could see his eyes widen in confusion. "Pardon?"

"You know...sorry for threatening you that time," I smiled sheepishly while fiddling with Jade’s colorful tail in my lap.

Immediately, he lowered his head again while shaking it. "You don’t have to, Young Master. If anything, I should thank you,"

"Huh...why?" I tilted my head. This guy...wasn’t a masochist or anything right?

"Because I was rewarded by His Lordship for bringing your letter that day, Young Master," he said. I couldn’t see his face, but I felt like I could hear him smiling with those words.

Oh, good, he wasn’t a masochist. "Is that so? That’s fortunate," I patted Jade in relief. I was feeling awkward about ordering someone I tormented for quite some time just for my selfish gain. It was good if he got a reward for it instead. I reminded myself to thank Natha later.

"Alright, then..." now that we were in the clear, let’s get to the main point. "Can you tell me about the Hero’s movement? Is he still in the palace?"

"If you’re asking about the human Hero, then no, Young Master, he had gone for quite some time."

"What?!" Jade jumped at my sudden agitated tone, and I had to pat the green head gently to calm it down.

Yeah...I needed to calm down too. I was surprised because even though it was within my expectation that he was on his way already, Heraz told me he had gone for ’quite some time’ and not just recently. "I mean...since when?"

"About six or seven weeks ago,"

I pressed my lips to prevent any more outbursts. That was way faster than my calculation. It should still be winter there. A month was enough for him to trace Valmeier’s origin and go to the mountain church. But then, it meant the event didn’t happen in the spring...

Was it because I wasn’t dead, but missing instead? Was it somehow quickening the plot?

"Why? What happened? Why is the loyal Hero suddenly left the palace?" I asked carefully, trying to keep my tone steady.

"The more loyal someone is, the more devastated they would be when they felt betrayed," he answered sophisticatedly, not something I would expect from him.

"So the kingdom betrayed him?" I knew this already, but still...who knew if the reason had changed, like he was getting dumped by the princess, for example.

"Rather, he just found out that he was foolishly getting used for the kingdom’s selfish gain," I felt him glance at me, probably thinking ’just like you’.

Hmm...so that part was still the same, at least. "Do you know where he is now?"

"He moved elusively since the palace is looking for him, but we heard he was heading west toward the border with the Empire,"

It was quite endearing how he always answered me readily with his head bowed and eyes staring at the floor. I was tempted to see if there was some kind of cheat sheet beneath him.

"So you don’t know exactly where he is right now?" I asked while tilting my head, trying to peer at the floor.

"No, Young Master, since we are in charge of watching the capital,"

We—so there were others beside him. And it seemed like since the Hero left the capital, they didn’t bother with him anymore. Did Natha think the Hero’s existence wouldn’t make any significant change to the world? It seemed rather foolish for me to not keep an eye out for an irregular existence like him.

Or...did he think the Hero was too foolish and naïve to do anything in the world without the palace’s help? Well...if it was the teenage Hero in the first book, that thought actually made sense. The boy reached adulthood and maturity by traveling the world and bonded with the companions he met himself, after all.

This meant, the Hero’s journey actually started now, when he get away from the palace and the poisonous companions. He would start to change then, and maybe become more significant.

At any rate, I needed to know his track.

I contemplate it for a bit, before deciding to just go with it. "Do you know the place I grew up in?"

"Are you talking about the church in Erna Hill, Young Master?" I could see Heraz frowning for a little bit, perhaps confused as to why I suddenly changed the subject. I didn’t, though.

"Yes. Can you check if the Hero goes there?"

He paused for a bit, for the first time did not reply to me immediately. He probably tried to understand why would the Hero go there, and weigh the possibility. But he soon remembered that it wasn’t his duty to decide that. His duty was to do as I said.

"Understood. I will give a report as soon as possible."

"Please update me on the church’s condition too, and inform me about the Hero’s new companions—if he had any," I leaned back in my chair and thought of other possibilities. I had to also count that the Hero might not go the church route and went straight to the Empire. "If he was never there, look into his whereabouts. All I need from you now is an update about him."

He didn’t answer me immediately again, and instead lifted his head, asking while staring at me. "Would it be alright if I share the report with His Lordship?"

Hah—look at this cute one. Did he think I had a romantic interest in the Hero or something? "Yes, you should. That boy might change soon, so it’ll be good to put an eye on him."

"Understood," this time, he replied swiftly.

"Thank you, Heraz," I smiled at him, and he immediately lowered his gaze again. It was quite funny. "Please came back safely."

After a second delay, he answered while scooting back. "By your order," he said, before vanishing into the air. Unlike Natha, though, he didn’t leave any trace, just like any good spy.

I exhaled loudly now that I was alone. Ah, well, not really alone. Jade flew to my shoulder and nuzzled me like always, and I patted the bird mindlessly while my mind flew toward the human realm.

Him running away from the palace without any plan was a bit hasty, and it was driven by emotional outbursts. But it was the hardship that got him to develop as a ’real’ Hero or whatever.

What I didn’t know was how the story progressed from that. I knew he would make a change in the human realm, with his troubleshooting habit and joining a rebellion force. I had no idea how his action would affect the geopolitical structure of this world, but for all I knew, the Hero was designed to have multiple races joining as his companion. Would it affect this new home I had, I wonder?

If things didn’t change much, then we would definitely meet. Since he had the intention to acquire something from the Demon Lord, and Natha seemed to despise him, hostility would most likely ensue. If we met as enemies once the time came, would I be able to defend my home?

I looked at my palm then, and again, sighing loudly with Jade’s concerned yet confused look.

"Seems like I can’t avoid it even if I wanted to," I curled my hand into a fist, biting my lips. "I might need to summon it..."

The Spear of Judgment.