NOVPUBIn the Demon King Palace, adorned with celestial patterns on its dome, Hyperion looked weak, pitiful, and innocent as she gazed at the falling Calila, waiting for the Ninth-order Great Demon to speak.
Calila didn’t mind the princess’s feigned ignorance.
It was just a matter of making things clear in front of all the Great Demons— 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝘤𝘰𝑚
"I would not pressure you under normal circumstances, but now we are on the brink of war. The Demon Race may face a trial or even a disaster, and we need a safeguard for the opening of the Ancestral Land," said Calila as she observed Hyperion.
Her meaning was clear: the princess needed to ensure the continuation of the royal bloodline. Otherwise, should anything happen to her, such as assassination or untimely death, the Ancestral Land would be sealed. If the Blood Clan truly launched an attack then the Demon Race would face a severe disadvantage.
Hyperion was stunned.
She had not expected Calila’s intentions to be this.
"May I consider it a little longer?" Hyperion asked.
"How much longer?" Calila inquired.
"A month and a half," Hyperion hoped to evade the issue.
Once the forty-five-day deadline of the Shadow World arrived, she would flee back to the present world, after which it wouldn’t concern her anymore.
"No, the Blood Clan has been eager to probe us and has proposed a marriage alliance with a Blood Clan Marquis as a condition for a long-term peace between the Blood Clan and the Demon Race. We can delay at most one more month before we must give an answer to the Blood Clan. Choosing your suitor before then is also a measure to protect you," Calila said with a smile that gradually turned into a sneer, her tone becoming stern.
If they agreed to the Blood Clan’s demands, they would lose the ability to open the Ancestral Land; if they refused, they would no longer be able to maintain their status as a neutral nation.
In a large-scale war, often those who enter the fray last can reap the benefits. If possible, the Demon Race wasn’t ready to step into the battlefield yet.
"Please stop being willful, Princess. Rather than handing you over to the Blood Clan, we should forcefully take control of you. The fact that you are still sitting here is the final courtesy I’m extending to an old friend," Calila said with a stern look that sent a chill down Hyperion’s spine.
The ’old friend’ Calila mentioned was clearly the former Demon King.
Hyperion realized that the only reason she still held the position of princess was thanks to Calila, who, as the upholder of rules, presided over the Demon Race’s etiquette.
As a Ninth-order Great Demon, it was apparent that even Calila’s patience had its limits.
"...So you’re saying that within a month, I must decide on my choice?" Hyperion pursed her lips, feeling as if she was in an impossible predicament from the start.
However, she had heard from Antanas and others that suitors for a royal marriage in the Demon World must at least be from the Great Demon Clan.
"As someone so weak, you have no right to choose. In the Demon World, it has always been the strong who choose the weak. You can only express your preferences as much as possible, and I will select the most suitable suitor from among the interested Great Demons under the premise of fairness that will convince the entire Demon World," Calila reminded her.
At this time, the Demon Race could not afford internal strife or provoke collective dissatisfaction among the Great Demons.
The suitor of the princess would accordingly obtain considerable power, and many Great Demons, whether they liked the princess or not, would want to become her betrothed or even her controller.
If a decision was made unilaterally, it would not only violate the traditions of the Demon World but also offend a host of Great Demons, causing even more resentment.
Apart from Calila, there were other Ninth-order Great Demons in the Demon World who were on the border and couldn’t come. If she, Calila, made an unfair judgment in person, she would also find it difficult to deal with the other Ninth-order Great Demons under the pretext of Demon Race etiquette.
"..."
Hyperion clenched her hands tightly.
She did not want to marry a stranger from the Demon Race in such an absurd manner.
It was definitely impossible to escape from the Demon King’s Castle by force; she had only managed to escape from her teacher, the Bingxue Witch, and that was clearly ineffective against a Ninth-order Great Demon like Calila.
Now, she could only think of a way to act in a play to survive this crisis.
"I prefer black hair... You have to find me a Demon with black hair..." Hyperion muttered with difficulty, pouting as she made her request.
Her father, Migaya, had black hair, so she was not lying.
She bolstered herself with this thought.
"This can be dyed."
Calila calmly refuted her.
She believed hair color could not be used as a screening criterion.
"Then... as for eye color, I prefer..."
Hyperion fiddled with the fabric of her dress and tentatively spoke again.
"That too can be changed with magic."
Calila didn’t wait for Hyperion to finish her sentence before she interrupted her.
She realized that the princess’s demands were strange, as if she wanted to select someone from a specific Great Demon Clan.
"My betrothed must be a demon of the light attribute."
Hyperion’s face became increasingly flushed as she mumbled, head bowed.
Being a demon of the dark attribute, it was natural for her to be attracted to demons of the light attribute.
"You cannot directly limit the race, as it might involve racial discrimination, affecting our internal cohesion at this critical juncture and, moreover, within today’s Great Demon Clan, naturally light-attribute demons are not plentiful."
Calila was already a bit impatient, feeling that the princess was being picky.
And she inexplicably felt that even on the brink of life and death, the princess was still being stubborn.
Eventually, letting out a sigh, Calila warned,
"The only conditions you may propose are the ’strongest demon’ or ’most knowledgeable demon’. We will then conduct a public search in the Demon World based on such criteria to find you the most suitable betrothed. That would be fair and also convince the Blood Clan that we haven’t just arranged a fake betrothed for you on the spur of the moment. If you don’t choose, we’ll default to the strongest demon."
"..."
Hyperion was speechless, feeling an exceptional dryness in her throat and her heartbeat steadily accelerating.
In the solemn and heavy throne room, the surrounding air seemed to freeze with tension.
Sitting on the throne, Hyperion felt the formidable atmosphere within the palace.
Not only the dangerous magic power of the Great Demons, but also Calila, the only person clearly determined to protect her, stood silently by her side, her gaze seeming to pierce through all appearances to reach into the depths of the soul.
It also made Hyperion acutely aware that Calila’s patience was growing thinner and thinner.
Just as Calila helplessly sighed, preparing to give up on respecting the princess’s wishes,
"Then, I like demons with artistic talent, is that okay? After one month, have the Great Demons paint, and whoever paints the best, I will marry!"
Hyperion, driven into a corner, could only say this through clenched teeth.
Though saying such words made her extremely shy.
But that was the only thing she could think of at the moment.
"... That is acceptable."
Calila nodded, feeling that the princess’s request this time was not so capricious.
Top painters of the Demon World could also create very powerful magic tools, their paintings themselves possessing magical effects. Their status and identity were both quite high, and being favored by the royalty was reasonable.
"I also accept the Nameless Great Demon Tribe."
Hyperion added.
"..."
This surprised Calila somewhat.
It seemed that this time, the princess had truly made up her mind.
Calila could understand; indeed, in the Demon World or the human realms, there were Nameless Great Demons hidden away, though they were all quite dangerous individuals. At this time, as their Demon World valued the wise and capable, if they could draw out and recruit the Nameless Great Demons as part of their world’s strength, it was not a bad deal at all.
"I understand. I will do my utmost to announce this important matter regarding the princess’s request and select you a betrothed from the Great Demons who is the best painter. At that time, Princess, you must not change your mind again, or else don’t blame me for not being able to protect you anymore."
Calila responded, after bowing.
"No problem."
Hyperion bit down hard on her teeth in agreement.
She was uncertain whether the demand she had hastily made would result in victory.
Deep in her heart, she kept praying that there would be no demon in this era’s Demon World better at painting than him, absolutely none.
