To say that I was having a good day would be an understatent of epic proportionsthings were finally turning my way. Despite lingering anxiety that sothing might suddenly ruin everything, a part of remained unconcerned, trusting Carpy to handle security.
I noticed Wis seed absent-minded, so I snapped my fingers, pulling her out of her stupor. She looked at and smiled, "Ah, sorry, today has been a bit of a long day."
In response, I sipped wine, masking any expression on my face. There was an unusual hunger in Wis' eyes, a greed typically associated with soone who desired to hold the world in their palms.
Nonetheless, there was no reason for suspicion at the mont. Perhaps she had simply realized that life as a ruler wasn't as glamorous as it seed, restricted by the watchful eyes of the Exorcist Clans.
"Whatever is on your mind, you can tell ," I reassured her.
She stared at , desperation flickering in her eyes, and confessed, "I really want to be you."
That was a strange statent, and Wis realized it too. She nodded at and walked away. "Excuse , I have to go and talk to so of my other subjects."
Her peculiar behavior extended to the way she spoke as well. It could be attributed to the weight of responsibility sinking in or so secret held by the royal family that was affecting her. After all, I had eliminated the King, leaving her with no one to seek guidance from about any secrets the family might have.
This revelation worried , as I was unaware of any secrets the royal family might possess. Nevertheless, as a long-standing ruling family, they were likely to have so hidden knowledge, even though they were forbidden from learning Ord.
"Why are you smiling so much? Your face looks odd when you do that," Ellen chid in, interrupting my thoughts. "Did aging up twenty years ss with your brain?"
Bringing up an exorcist's lost lifespan was in poor taste. However, Ellen and I were close friends, and she probably understood why I had taken that drastic step. After all, she was the one who would heal after our training sessions. "No, I just wanted to ensure that next ti you use your special ability on , you can't claim ignorance of my real age, Pedo Exorcist."
She frowned, looking ready to hit , but closed her eyes for a couple of seconds before reopening them. Her calm deanor indicated that she had grown wiser. If it was before, she wouldn't have cald down so fast, even if she knew I was teasing her.
Ellen's unique ability involved healing through kissing soone, it also emitted a seductive charm aura that she couldn't control before, which she now seed to have mastered. There was a slight increase in her Ord, but aside from that, Ellen remained the sa person I trained with a year ago.
However, personal power alone wasn't a reliable indicator of a Master's strength; their primary combat abilities resided in their demons. With the drawbacks of her ability eliminated, there was only one logical conclusion: she had sohow evolved her Lovers Demon into an Ultimate Class. Being capable of fusion with her demon was no longer a trivial matter.
She now probably had more demons to compensate for her weaknesses, unlike , who was limited to just one.
Who among us would win in an all-out fight?
Her demon had given up its self-protective nature, which hurt those who harbored certain emotions. Yet, having shed its nearly invincible defense, it likely acquired an overpowered ability.
Considering that the demon's power operated on the premise of love, it was reasonable to assu that it possessed so formidable abilities, given that this was a shounen.
"You called here if the lousy priest started trouble, and now you mock ?" she retorted, her tone harsh.
I shrugged casually. "Well, I'm not lying, am I?"
She narrowed her eyes, but her lips betrayed a hint of amusent. It was difficult for her to maintain a serious expression because she knew better than most. After spending considerable ti together, she understood that my insults held little weight, particularly when delivered with a smile.
"So, how's the world treating you?" I inquired.
Adjusting to a life outside the confines of the forest couldn't have been easy for her. Considering she had spent years isolated since twelve, it was understandable if she harbored social anxiety.
"Pretty okay," she replied, and I dropped the subject after seeing the look in her eyes.
Despite our propensity to tease each other whenever we were together, I genuinely cared for Ellen. She had been an invaluable ally, always offering assistance without prying into the origins of my inexplicable knowledge.
In a peculiar way, I even tolerated her occasional flirtatious tendencies toward . Which bordered on stranger-danger territory. Still, I would never let her forget those instances, because that's what friends do.
"So, do you think the priest might be thinking sothing crazy?" I asked her, glancing at Hierophant, the 5th-ranked exorcist. He possessed a pretty strong special ability, and he was the one I was most worried about here. Though there was no shortage of dangerous people at this party.
"No, he seems normal. But beneath that, I sense deep despair, loathing, and a trace of murderous intent, but not directed at anyone here," she stated.
Oh, she could sense emotions so deeply? Well, technically her demon could, and it relayed that information to her. But it was still impressive.
As if reading my mind, Ellen turned toward and smirked. "You're feeling surprised, foreboding, happy, and a tinge of murderous intent for anyone who dares interrupt your plans."
The last part was probably just her guessing, but overall, she was right. It seed like she had grown considerably on her journey and could probably stand side-by-side with .
Later, I should propose the Avalon Expedition plan to her.
I looked around, making sure to lock eyes with any of the wolves in here who were hiding their claws and getting ready to strike as soon as they got the chance.
Maybe leaving soone here to look over Wis would be better than having an extra hand with . Avalon Island was a death trap either way, and it would be a sha if Ellen were to die there.
...
The ceremony proceeded without any notable incidents. I mainly kept an eye on the Kuro Clan Head and the Raion Clan Head engaged in conversation. From the outside, they seed friendly in their interaction. However, anyone with knowledge knew that these two clans were at each other's throats, as each aid to beco the leading clan in the country.
In the opposite corner of the room, Natalia and Delia exchanged glances, further fueling my suspicions about their relationship. There was sothing peculiar going on between them.
During the afterparty, the nobles approached one by one to swear their vows. I stood by Wis' side while this happened, with the royal guards stationed in each corner of the room.
It was a deliberate show of power for to be closer to the princess than the Royal Guards. It was a ssage to anyone outside the inner circle that I had erged victorious. It was also a warning. If they refused to submit, they would face dire consequences.
Fortunately, there were no peculiar incidents after everyone pledged their allegiance. I was relieved I hadn't invited Agon, as that would inevitably stirred up so strange trouble.
"Ladies and gentlen, as the newly crowned queen, I would like to make an announcent," Wis suddenly declared. I tensed up by her side.
What? This wasn't part of the plan.
"As all of you know, my path to the throne has been arduous and filled with pain. It was marked by a river of blood flowing alongside the road," she said.
Everyone looked at her strangely. While the royal battle was widely known, it was an unspoken rule not to ntion it directly, especially for a royal family mber.
Wis glanced at and a genuine smile blossod on her face. Without hesitation, she announced, "I would like to express my gratitude to my fianc, Kon of the Dark Sword Clan, for supporting throughout this journey."
I almost choked on my spit when she said that and coughed.
Why did she say that? We could have used her not being engaged to our advantage!
Enemies of the country might have considered marrying their sons to her before attacking. Ambitious individuals would have thought of marrying her before resorting to violence. Even if she didn't actually marry, the re possibility of marriage could have deterred so enemies.
However, since it had already been said and there was nothing else I could do about it, I simply nodded in response to the shocked faces of the people around . Instead, I resolved to think of a plan and make the best of this situation.
For now, I should act confidently and show I wasn't afraid of enemies.
...
After everyone said their goodbyes, only a few people remained, and I was escorting Wis to her bedroom when my mask broke. It was here that I felt comfortable asking Wis, "Why did you say that?"
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