NOVPUB"So, that's the story," Astra said calmly, sipping her tea.
Leon sat silently, his face tangled in deep thought.
"So that's it... now I finally understand," he murmured softly.
What Astra told him matched exactly what Miranda and the First Elder had revealed earlier.
Long ago, the Evil God and his army launched a covert attack on the Elven lands—an assault made possible by the betrayal of the Giant Race.
Yes, the Giant Race—the very ones who betrayed everyone at the height of the war against the Evil God.
Had Luminus Troya not intervened, Amon Crimson and the allied forces would have wiped them out completely.
It was the Giants who deceived the First Elder—the Elven Queen at the time—and created the opening the Evil God needed to launch his invasion.
Exposed and vulnerable, the Elven defenses were brutally breached.
Countless lives were lost—about one hundred fifty thousand Elves fell. This tragedy became a dark chapter in their history, one they could never forget.
Fortunately, Astra was there. Thanks to her power, she held back the assault, preventing total destruction.
But the cost was high—the World Tree's source of life was damaged, and dark power seeped into her.
For seven thousand years, she endured the torment of dark power slowly consuming her—until the moment it fully took control.
Fortunately, he arrived just in time to save her.
Had he been a month—or even a year—too late, Astra's consciousness would have vanished completely, leaving only an empty vessel ruled by darkness.
"Giant race, huh?" Leon's eyes narrowed, a deadly intent flickering behind his gaze.
Ever since Miranda first told him about the Giant Race's betrayal in the war seven thousand years ago, he had planned to exterminate them.
But back then, Luminus Troya asked Miranda to deliver a message: The Fated One must protect the Giant Race, not destroy it.
Because of that message, Leon had to suppress his urge for vengeance.
Now, after hearing Astra's story firsthand, that buried intention resurfaced with renewed force.
As the old saying goes, "If your ancestors were criminals, it's possible you'll follow their path."
Traits can be inherited. Considering how ruthlessly the Giant Race betrayed everyone in the Great War, it wasn't impossible their descendants would do the same.
Leon wasn't a soft-hearted saint like Luminus Troya; he was a realist like Amon Crimson.
If one day the Giant Race repeated the tragedy from seven thousand years ago, then sorry—he would truly wipe them out from this world.
Shaking off his thoughts, Leon took a sip of tea and fixed a steady gaze on Astra.
"Has the damage to your vitality affected you much?" Leon asked.
"Of course," Astra nodded slowly, letting out a soft sigh. "My source of vitality is my very life. If it's damaged, so am I. More than that, it spreads life to the land, air, and water—for the Elven race and the entire Forest of Eternal Silence."
"That damage has greatly reduced fertility for thousands of years. If I hadn't restrained the dark power, the land, water, and air—even beyond the Forest of Eternal Silence—would have been polluted long ago."
Leon hadn't expected the situation to be this dire. He paused for a moment, then asked, "Can you heal the damage to your vitality?"
"I can," Astra replied. "But since the damage was caused by dark power, it must be removed first. Once that happens, I can recover—though it will take time. Still, I'm confident I can do it."
"Good!" Leon smiled broadly as he stood. "Then show me where the main source of the dark power is. I'll clear it out and help you heal."
Astra was momentarily stunned, then finally smiled. "Fated One, you really are a good man. You remind me so much of him."
Her face grew sad, filled with nostalgia.
"Him?" Leon frowned, trying to guess. "Demon Emperor Amon Crimson?"
"Yes," Astra nodded, chuckling softly. "His nature is very much like yours—straightforward and brave, but also gentle. He often argued with Luminus Troya over their differences, but they always made up in the end."
"Because of that... I fell in love with him and had a child with him."
Astra suddenly fell silent. Her gaze fixed on Leon, filled with emotions hard to put into words. "By the way, Leon... may I ask you something?"
Leon didn't answer but nodded slowly.
Taking a deep breath, Astra asked, "How is my son, Morgan Crimson, doing in my absence? After I gave birth to him and cared for him until he was one, Amon took him away to raise in the Demon Empire's palace."
"Since then, I've never heard from him—or even met him."
Since the Elven race sealed itself off from the outside world, news was scarce.
She could have asked the Elven Queens back then—they would have told her.
But she feared that rekindling her longing would make her impulsive and cloud her judgment.
So for thousands of years, she sealed her heart from love to protect herself from madness.
Seeing her sad, longing expression, Leon felt an unexpected ache in his own heart.
After a long sigh, he finally spoke. "Actually..."
He began to tell her everything—what happened to Amon Crimson, Morgan Crimson, and their descendants.
Astra listened intently. But as the story went on, her hands slowly clenched into tight fists.
"So that's it... I see," she whispered, lowering her head.
Leon noticed a tear slip down her cheek, and a wave of helplessness washed over him.
"It's truly heartbreaking," he murmured softly.
Although he was a man, he understood the pain a mother must feel—learning that her child and their descendants had lived only to die.
The Demon Emperors before Liliana had all fallen at the hands of Heroes. It was part of the scenario crafted by Amon Crimson and Luminus Troya.
Leon was certain they had known the outcome, yet they still chose that path. That alone proved how remarkable they truly were.
After some time, Astra's tears stopped. In her entire life, she had only cried twice—once when Amon Crimson took Morgan away, and now.
She had believed that sealing her heart would spare her from ever shedding tears again—but clearly, she was mistaken.
Her love for her child and his bloodline remained strong—undeniable, unforgotten. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
Lifting her head, she looked at Leon gently and asked, "Who is the current Demon Emperor?"
Leon smiled and replied, "There is no Demon Emperor—but a Demon Empress. And she is my wife."
