Volume 5, Chapter 50 – Prelude

The heavy downpour that had lasted all night was strong enough to drown out people’s voices. But in this ordinary noble’s room, it was so quiet that a silver needle falling to the ground could be heard. The faint, sweet smell of fruit wafted through the room, and the warm, goose-yellow light illuminated every fiber of the carpet. The way people were seated around the room, at first glance, one might think a lively reception was about to begin. However, the truth was that the people present had been sitting here for a while, and the atmosphere was extremely awkward.

Tilulu’s brother looked at her, who was sitting on the sofa opposite him. He wanted to reach out but couldn’t. Not only were he and his attendant present, but also Anastasia and Milu. As for Fia, she was not here, having said she had some things to do and needed to go out at night.

After a long time, the tall but refined Tiger-kin man named Celesté finally spoke.

“Um… Tilulu, can I call you that?”

“Mm.”

Tilulu, in a simple dress, nodded lightly.

Getting her approval, Celesté was overjoyed. What he had feared most was that she would not recognize him at all. Now, her obedient nod showed that his cousin did not hold a grudge against him.

He subconsciously rubbed his hands and leaned forward from the sofa, saying enthusiastically.

“I am Celesté Amann, the eldest son of your uncle’s family, and the one who sent the letter to you. I never thought that after a hundred years, I would be able to meet someone from the Lujue family. This is truly a blessing for our Tiger-kin royal family.”

Though he said this, he did not think so in his heart.

His purpose had not changed even after learning that she had a backer. He wanted to take this opportunity to win over her backer as well. He did not know Fia’s strength, nor did he know that Tilulu had already claimed the throne. He had only seen her enter the fifth floor of the Hunting Ground this morning and had thought that his great opportunity had arrived.

The fifth floor was where the Holy Son handled official business. No one was allowed to enter without an invitation. This meant that either Tilulu had already had private contact with the Holy Son, or the backer behind her was attractive enough to the Holy Son. In either case, it was what he, who could hardly even see the Holy Son, needed most.

He had known long ago that she was being hunted down, but for various reasons, he had not offered help at the first moment.

First, as a Tiger-kin royal, Tilulu’s Lujue family was the direct line, while his Amann line was a branch. He needed to avoid the situation where she would usurp his power after coming to his camp. After all, at that time, he did not know how much power she had. The power his family had painstakingly built for three generations could not be handed over to others in his generation.

Second, when he learned that there was a powerful half-dragonoid by her side, he became even more reluctant to contact her. Although a half-dragonoid was not a dragon, it still represented extremely powerful strength and could easily defeat him.

Finally, she was being hunted by Chazo, and the killers were a team of Sixth-Tier adventurers with the power to slay dragons. To take her in at this time would be to invite trouble.

So he had just watched her from a distance. It wasn’t until the leader of the Snake-folk had died for her that he had finally ventured to extend an olive branch. A person would remember the one who helped them in their most difficult time. With this favor of taking her in, he would not have to worry about her usurping his power. He had observed her for too long. She actually did not want her followers to risk their lives for her. She just wanted to find a place to live in peace. Otherwise, she would not have disappeared for several years and reappeared with no improvement in her strength.

So as long as he won her over, he could use the half-dragonoid as a reward to increase his own strength. Then he could use her as a line to get in touch with the Holy Son, and finally, he wouldn’t have to worry about being usurped by her. It was killing two birds with one stone.

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Although she now had a new backer and he was a step too late, Celesté had not given up. The other party was an elf, and from her dress, attire, and words and actions, she was most likely a high-ranking noble from Silvar who wanted to interfere in the politics of the Cold Night for her own benefit. And as long as she wanted to gain benefits, the two sides had a basis for a good discussion. He would use Silvar as a knife to get rid of the Holy Son, and after he became king, he would share the cake of the Cold Night with the Silvar nobles. In this way, he would have a stable and powerful backer and secure his position as king.

Imagining the past in his heart, Celesté restrained himself from showing his happiness on his face and made small talk.

“The messenger from yesterday should have already told you about our general situation. He also reported to me that you had a very pleasant chat with him. But I heard from him that you have found someone willing to help you. Do you mean this elf swordswoman here…”

Celesté looked at Anastasia, who was sitting next to Tilulu. He had noticed her long ago. Or rather, her calm and serious temperament made it difficult for him not to. Anastasia’s figure was extremely perfect. To put Tilulu and her together, anyone would look at her first.

“It’s not Miss Anastasia, it’s… it’s my mom…” Tilulu answered in a small voice.

“Mom?”

This answer made Celesté’s heart sink. He had not heard that Tilulu’s mother was still alive.

“Enough with the unnecessary words. Let’s get straight to the point.”

Anastasia’s stiff tone interrupted the topic. Due to the messenger’s arrogant attitude yesterday, her impression of Celesté was extremely poor. If Radric hadn’t insisted that Tilulu meet her brother, she would not have received such a person at all.

“We only have one question.”

Anastasia’s standoffish attitude made Celesté feel a sense of foreboding.

“Please speak.”

“Will you swear allegiance to Tilulu? Or will you leave our sight immediately? You are of no value to us. If Radric didn’t think you were her brother, and that it would be difficult to meet again if you didn’t meet this time, we would not have arranged this meeting at all. Also, next time you send a messenger, remember to choose carefully. Don’t send some untrained dog. Livestock are not qualified to see Her Highness.”

“You!”

The more Anastasia spoke, the worse Celesté’s face became. Especially at the end, he almost couldn’t stop himself from standing up and shouting at her.

However, for the sake of his future power, he ultimately suppressed his anger and asked in a deep, ashen-faced voice.

“What do you mean by this? Although Tilulu is a direct royal, her family is now in decline. We need to work together to defeat Chazo. Besides, she only has nearly a hundred followers, while I have the power of an entire family. For you to ask me to lead my entire family to swear allegiance to her is not appropriate, is it?”

“Your little power is not worth mentioning to us.”

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“Even if you are a high-ranking noble of Silvar, you should not be so arrogant. This is the Cold Night, not Silvar. Besides, you are just a guard. The one who is truly qualified to speak with me is Tilulu.”

Although Silvar was an object he should curry favor with, he, Celesté, could not grovel to a mere guard. It would be a different matter if it were her master.

Celesté snorted coldly and turned his gaze back to Tilulu. If not for the fact that she could get in touch with the Holy Son, he would have already fought this impolite elf.

“Tilulu, the family needs you. The hatred of a fallen nation and a destroyed clan must be avenged. Join us, and I promise to let you and your non-combatant followers stay in the rear and live the peaceful life you hope for.”

“Hah.”

Celesté’s ridiculous performance made Anastasia let out a sneer. She decided not to interfere anymore and let Tilulu deal with her brother herself. This was both to train her adaptability and out of contempt for him.

Tilulu looked a little flustered. She held her legs together, and her beast ears moved back slightly as she said hesitantly.

“I have already sworn to be the queen of the Cold Night, in the Snake-folk tribe.”

“Sworn to be queen?” Celesté was first stunned, then he laughed kindly. “You said that to those who are willing to follow you, right? It doesn’t matter. You are still young and shouldn’t bear these heavy responsibilities. It’s not too late to think about it when you grow up. I know you’ve found a new partner. I can take them in along with you. I will cooperate with them. Just in case, I can also make a written pledge that when I become the king of the Cold Night, I will give you a hereditary title and a rich fiefdom.”

If it were a few days ago, Tilulu would have surely refused without a second thought. But now she hesitated. There was an indescribable thought in her heart that was stopping her. Another her was constantly saying that as long as she agreed to Celesté, she wouldn’t have to be queen and could do what she wanted to do, like staying by Fia’s side forever, living a carefree life like Liti, and forever enjoying the intoxicating sense of security.

In fact, this voice had been there since the daytime. It was as if a nameless fire was lodged in her chest, constantly roasting her heart, making her extremely restless and unable to calm down.

“I…”

“Don’t listen to him,” Milu at the side frowned. “This guy just wants to use you.”

“Use? You must be joking, young lady. I am helping Tilulu.”

“Then where were you when Tilulu needed you? To send a letter just when Master appeared, anyone can see your intentions. A shameless person who even uses their own relatives.”

“Stellacryst Beast, don’t be so insolent!”

The male attendant behind Celesté finally couldn’t help but stand up. If he hadn’t felt that Anastasia was stronger than him, he would have long since spoken up for his master.

“You want to fight?”

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Milu stood up, her eyebrows raised, and put her hand on the hilt of her sword.

“You said it. I wouldn’t go so far as to challenge a little brat.”

Just as a tense atmosphere was brewing, the room door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

An elf girl with long white hair, wearing a dark green formal dress and a silver cloak, appeared. The moment this girl with an exquisite face appeared, the entire room dimmed. Her nation-toppling beauty made one’s breath catch.

This was, of course, Fia. Only she could give such a different feeling with just a change of hair color.

Because she had just come back from the rain, Fia’s hair was a little damp. As soon as she entered the door, she noticed the tense atmosphere and tilted her head in confusion.

“What are you doing?”

“Someone is being blind.”

Milu pouted and sat back down.

“May I ask who you are…”

“The Witch of Calamity Flame.”

“A witch?!”

Ignoring the nervous Celesté and his attendant, Fia, who had taken off her cloak, walked straight to the back of Tilulu and Anastasia. Although she did not know the specific conversation, she could guess from the messenger’s attitude that day that he was arrogant. In her absence, the two sides must have had an unpleasant talk. He must have demanded that Tilulu join him.

She looked at Celesté. Because of her identity as a witch, he was now on high alert. He and his attendant were at the Third Tier and quasi-Fourth Tier respectively, so a witch was a strong enemy in their eyes.

“Anastasia should have already explained the pros and cons to you. It’s not too late for you to swear allegiance to Tilulu now. Otherwise, the two sides should never have anything to do with each other again.”

“You… Tilulu, how could you associate with a witch! Witches are all wicked, murderous demons comparable to the Darkborn! Is this the kind of backer you’ve found?! Go and call the Holy Son over! A witch appearing here must have ulterior motives!”

In contrast to Celesté, who had stood up from the sofa with a look of desperation in his eyes, Tilulu’s expression suddenly darkened. A very strong loathing appeared in her mysterious purple eyes, and her voice became as cold as if it had come from hell.

“Brother Celesté, please take back those words. I will not allow you to insult my mother.”

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“…?”

Tilulu’s completely different behavior made Celesté surprised and uncertain. He could clearly feel her seriousness. It seemed that in just a few words, he had touched upon her most taboo topic.

However, his surprise quickly turned to anger. For him, the leader of the Tiger-kin, to be frightened by his twelve or thirteen-year-old, ‘wet behind the ears’ cousin was a shame that would make him a laughingstock. A hint of anger gradually appeared in his tone.

“Recognize a witch as your mother? Tilulu, it’s not too late for you to turn back now. Without me, you will not get the recognition of the Tiger-kin. Do you think you can sit on the throne with just your less than a hundred followers? A fool’s dream! I am giving you a chance out of pity. Don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!”

“A duel.”

Tilulu said coldly. Her behavior surprised both Anastasia and Milu at her side. The contact of the past few days had made them realize that she was not the type to take things this far.

“A duel?”

Celesté laughed in his anger.

“Alright, we are both beastmen. Let’s solve this problem the beastman way. I will be lenient on you because you are younger than me. What do you want to bet?”

“The loser will be at the winner’s disposal.”

Taking the words that should have belonged to Tilulu, Fia, standing behind the sofa, proposed the bet for her, while her hand landed on her shoulder with a slap.

With a jolt, Tilulu, whose entire body had been exuding a cold aura, was as if a basin of hot water had been poured over her. The darkness in her eyes instantly disappeared, replaced by a dazed and surprised look, as if she were surprised that she would say such a thing.

She subconsciously looked to Fia for help, but she did not look at her.

Celesté raised his chin.

“It’s a deal.”

“Don’t forget to swear on your beastman Ancestral Spirit. Tilulu, let’s go outside.”

Letting go of her shoulder, Fia’s eyes flickered slightly, and she was the first to leave the room.

Translator Note

tbh the name Celesté is too good for him smh