NOVPUBThe demons held their breath in reverence, Princess Hyperion gazed intently at the painting.
As the seal was lifted, the purple light on the dark gray panel gradually became clear, revealing a peerless work of art.
Once the princess finished her appraisal, Calila gently waved her finger, guiding the panel to move slowly in the air so that all the demons could clearly see the piece.
"Such a rare quality painting to start with," someone said. "Whose work is this from the Great Demon Clan, and which master crafted it?"
"From the style, it doesn’t quite resemble Lord Raeming, nor does it seem like the works of Mist Sir or True Night Sir."
A solemn and sacred atmosphere permeated the hall, and as the painting was revealed, many demons were stunned by the artwork.
They discussed and analyzed.
Although Fallen Queen would reveal the owner of the painting only after the princess made her choice, the demons had already begun speculating.
In this manner, the unveiling of the paintings began, and splendor burst forth from the newly unsealed artwork.
For every demon present, beholding such paintings was a rare experience—they might witness an art feast of the highest order, not experienced in a thousand years in the Demon World, offering both a visual pleasure and an emotional touch.
The flow of magic power during the unveiling of a painting, especially the vivid colors during its creation, unsealing, and resonance with magic power, reflected the grade of the artwork, a grade related to the painting’s value, magical effects, and rarity.
The lowest, white light represented ordinary quality, the baseline for art pieces.
If accompanied by a blue radiance, it indicated an exquisite and flawless work, requiring stable and superior skills to produce.
Moving up, purple represented top art pieces, while pink belonged in the sacred realm, almost the highest echelon of art seen in mortal concepts.
Though the chances were slim, every demon in attendance hoped for the emergence of pink radiance.
They were also nervous, fearing that an excellent painting could come from the hands of the Ancestor of the Blood Clan.
"As more paintings float out from the golden cabinet, it means they were submitted earlier. The tenth ancestor had his time delayed on the road to the Demon World this week, and now his paintings have yet to appear. He probably couldn’t have produced a fast and high-quality piece," someone mused.
While conversations continued, after the third purple painting appeared, a piece accompanied by a white light was nonchalantly moved aside by the Fallen Queen.
"That style... looks like Lord Raeming’s work?" one asked.
"Does he not want to win?" another wondered.
The seats of the demon nobility bustled with discussion, and glances were frequently cast toward Lord Raeming.
It was apparent that Lord Raeming did not take the competition seriously, having submitted an ordinary quality painting without much thought to victory.
"Gareth, didn’t you ask a demon artist to ghostwrite for you?" Lanci asked, turning to Lord Raeming beside him.
As Lanci understood, the rules set by the Fallen Queen almost implicitly permitted the practice of ghostwriting.
"I think doing that might invite your ridicule," Lord Raeming said, shaking his head. "It’s really not necessary."
His tone was resigned, as if to say, compared to the princess, your friendship, my dear friend, is more important.
The Nokta Family’s intention to marry into the royal family primarily sought status and power in the Demon World, but since he had McCarthy willing to help, the princess might not be that important anymore.
"Even so, even if I had used a ghostwriter, I might have still struggled against Mist Sir Orion and True Night Sir Esmod," Lord Raeming continued. "One has procured the services of the most ancient and legendary craftsman in the Demon World today, and the other possesses the highest artistic accomplishments among the Great Demon Clan."
Lord Raeming looked toward the two figures seated to the far left of the fan-shaped seating area, close to Fallen Lord Calila.
Mist Sir Orion, with his black hair and fierce golden eyes, sat next to True Night Sir Esmod, cloaked in black and in the shadows, only his haunting blue eyes visible.
Their pieces had not yet appeared.
To most demons, the one with the greatest chance of victory was Mist Sir Orion, the general of the seventh Army Group, followed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, True Night Sir Esmod.
"They’re clearly rivals; why do they seem to get along so well?" Lanci inquired of Lord Raeming Gareth.
In Lanci’s understanding of demon society, the Great Demon Clan were either close, unfamiliar, or in a relationship where they might want to kill each other at any moment.
Except for him and Talia, who possessed all three kinds of relationships.
Interactions between traditional members of the Great Demon Clan were quite straightforward.
The two Great Demons across from them were close to the Fallen Queen, hence Lanci had limited interactions with them.
All he knew was from Lisandra, who had told him that General Mist Sir was fierce, while the civil official, True Night Sir, seemed rather gentle.
Yet to his eyes, the two Great Demons opposite appeared to harbor no suspicions of each other, sitting in close proximity.
"The two grew up together, and their relationship has always been good. Sometimes, though, it feels quite strange and awkward," Lord Raeming replied, noticing Lanci’s rare interest and chose to indulge it.
Soon, an exclamation from the demon nobles in the Regency Hall interrupted the private exchange between Lord Raeming and Lanci.
Lord Raeming looked up to see a newly unveiled painting.
[Portrait · Nokta royal palace throne hall]
[Type: Artwork]
[Grade: Sacred]
[Class: 1]
[Creatures that witness this painting will recover a small amount of strength and spirit and may gain some insight into painting.]
The scene depicted ministers arriving at the Regency Hall to pay homage, with the princess sitting alone on her throne, possessing supreme power.
