Interlude – Affection for the Nameless
—
Our child is gradually growing under careful nurturing and in the warmth of our happy home.
He has just learned to walk and is only beginning to speak.
But I believe in this child, our Snow; he will learn quickly.
Perhaps, not long from now, I’ll be able to see him become a lively and mischievous little one.
I told my wife this with a smile.
She said she would look forward to that day and, no matter what he becomes, she will love him just the same.
I truly wonder what kind of person this child will become in the future?
Regardless, we only hope that he will be like his name—
Pure as snow, radiant as a lamp, never forgetting the view outside this window when he was born, the goddess’s favor and responsibilities bestowed upon him.
And we hope that he becomes a happy person, loved by those who cherish him and respected by those who admire him.
What else could we ask for?
We both wore smiles of happiness and contentment on our faces.
I lifted the child, and my wife kissed my cheek and gently kissed the child’s forehead, wishing him to grow strong.
May the goddess Elena bless this child with unparalleled affection.
—
The Emperor Guarded by the Sacred Beast
—
Ziyuan aimed his crossbow at the left eye of the demonic creature, and with a swish, an arrow wrapped in glowing violet electricity pierced into the eye socket of the horse-like monster.
“Gaahhh!” The creature wailed in agony, stumbling and fleeing.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“I did say I could help too,” complained a voice from the rustling foliage of a tree. Among the branches, there was a commotion accompanied by the sound of leaves shaking. Wei Yu was entwined with a thicker branch by a whip, and a pair of legs were kicking in frustration.
After parting ways with Thrett, Ziyuan and Wei Yu wandered through the forest. Accidentally stumbling upon a horse-like monster, Wei Yu rushed forward, only to be swiftly bound to a tree by Ziyuan, who then dealt with the creature himself.
“I can handle it faster on my own. I don’t need a human like you getting in the way,” Ziyuan said, releasing the whip. Wei Yu’s wings were unable to spread in time, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
“Whoa!”
“Hmph, aren’t you at least a hero? Can’t you control your own wings?” Seeing Wei Yu in a sorry state, Ziyuan pulled him up, not forgetting to mock him.
He was used to handling the skeletal wing of the Demon King skillfully. Previously, he even used it to have a snowball fight with Queen Lily, but its primary function was to catch the pillars Queen Lily threw or perform some lazy actions.
“I wish I could, but these wings just won’t listen to me no matter what. Even the magical power…” Wei Yu grumbled with a hint of grievance. He had privately studied many documents, among which only a portion mentioned the various symbols of the hero:
The Hero’s Wings, a manifestation of the power of the gods, heralding the arrival of the one who will end the Demon King, granting the ability to fly.
The Hero’s Totem, engraved on both arms, also a seal that fixes the divine power within the body.
The Hero’s Sword, the only blade to defeat the Demon King, also an invincible artifact obedient to the hero’s summons.
Divine power had no effect on Wei Yu because he lacked a totem, preventing him from freely using his powers. Moreover, if he forcefully used them, in the best-case scenario, it would succeed once or twice out of ten tries. In the worst-case scenario, magical power would backlash against Wei Yu’s body. He had known about this since he was very young, discovering that, apart from the Hero’s Wings, he lacked any other distinctive hero features.
Among the three, he possessed only one, while the ‘other person’ had two. Such a situation had been unprecedented for a millennium. Although it was unclear how it happened, both of them did indeed qualify as heroes. However, they shared the same fate—both had lost the ability to defeat the Demon King. With incomplete powers, they were absolutely powerless against the Demon King.
Contemplating this, Wei Yu couldn’t help but wear a somber expression. Not long ago, he could pretend to be oblivious, remaining ignorant until he encountered these people and the events during the National Celebration changed everything. Especially the lavender-haired demon before him, who forcibly dragged Wei Yu out of his shell that imprisoned him, a shell formed by Wei Yu’s arrogance and conceit as a hero, and at the same time, a blindfold that allowed him to evade reality. It was Ziyuan who made him see the world anew and his own insignificance.
“You’re so weak, yet you’re always talking big. And how long do you plan to follow me?” Ziyuan tied the whip back to his waist, not forgetting to taunt Wei Yu a few more times.
“Like those two, let’s travel together?” Wei Yu flapped his wings and flew to Ziyuan’s side, who had already walked far away.
In fact, Ziyuan was currently wandering aimlessly. He originally intended to use a magic circle to return directly to the Demon King’s castle, but he was now entangled by this annoying little brat. Once he used magic to move, it was very likely that even this little brat would be brought back to the castle. By then, the ruse of impersonating the Demon King would be exposed.
Ziyuan was considered one of the top talents among the demons. He was highly self-confident, not fond of battles, and enjoyed absorbing knowledge through books. It was forgotten how long ago he had caught the attention of the Demon King somewhere and subsequently volunteered to become an aide. However, he later realized that the job content was entirely different from what he had envisioned.
He admired those with the arrogance of kings and willingly submitted to them, regardless of who the object was. At that time, the Demon King was the perfect projection in his mind.
Originally, he felt that even if he were exposed, it wouldn’t matter. However, recently, something strange had changed in his heart. Initially, it was because Wei Yu mistook Ziyuan for the Demon King, which led Wei Yu to closely monitor him. But what if Wei Yu found out that he was an impostor? What would he say? Would he look at Ziyuan with a disdainful gaze?
Ziyuan didn’t want to be treated by this young man with a contemptuous look, nor did he want to lose his trust. Although the idea of having a hero trust the Demon King was absurd in itself.
‘If I’m exposed, will this brat still follow me like this?’ Thinking this, Ziyuan had to continue playing the role of the Demon King for a while longer. However, he still couldn’t clarify why he was doing this.
Perhaps Ziyuan saw in Wei Yu some kind of invisible strong determination, a persistence that gave Wei Yu a special brilliance different from others. That radiance was Wei Yu’s unwavering will to protect the country. Even if betrayed by the country or family, he would never despise or hate those things.
Ziyuan couldn’t deny that he might be attracted by such dedication, but he still felt a bit unwilling. Just like a moment ago when monsters suddenly appeared, the only thought in his mind was ‘I must protect this brat at all costs,’ which prompted him to stop Wei Yu from rushing into danger.
“Damn it… I actually have such feelings for this human brat…” Ziyuan muttered in frustration.
“Wow! Ziyuan, do you really hate traveling with me? Just now, did you say ‘damn it’ with an incredibly strong killing intent?” Wei Yu exclaimed.
“Huh? What are you talking about killing intent?” Ziyuan returned to his senses and found Wei Yu still walking beside him, talking about killing intent.
Suddenly, a brutal killing intent surged. Ziyuan alertly shouted, “Quick, get back!”
“What?” Wei Yu still couldn’t grasp the situation when a giant horse with a long horn on its forehead charged out!
“Tsk, move aside.” Ziyuan forcefully pushed Wei Yu directly down the ravine. After all, Wei Yu could fly now, and it was better than being stabbed or trampled to death by that giant horse.
The silver horse that charged out had a sharp horn on its forehead, and its black mane was knotted in chunks. It wasn’t the mythical unicorn from fairy tales but a magical beast with a vengeful spirit and regenerative abilities.
The left eye socket of the silver horse swelled disproportionately, and upon closer inspection, it could be seen that there were two eyeballs inside, one of which had a short arrow stuck in it. It turned out to be the magical beast that had been driven away earlier. Apparently, it was still in its calm mimicry state before, and now it revealed its true form driven by a bloodthirsty instinct. This magical beast was following its nature for revenge.
“What kind of creature is this?” Wei Yu, who wasn’t pushed down the ravine, circled in the air, pulled out his paired swords, and wanted to join the battle.
“Hurry, get lost. Just relying on me won’t scare it away like before. If we don’t kill it now, it’ll chase me for the rest of my life.” Ziyuan shouted. Although he could probably kill the magical beast with his magic, he wouldn’t be able to escape unscathed if a real fight broke out.
“Even if you say that, can I still run?” Wei Yu flew over and, with a sword raised towards the horse’s neck, the giant horse agilely shook its head, using its sharp horn to knock the sword out of Wei Yu’s hand, and the clanging sound echoed, striking at Wei Yu’s pride.
“Even unable to hold onto a sword, who are you staying to help? Should I tie you back to the tree again?” Out of concern and nervousness, Ziyuan shouted again, eager to drive Wei Yu to a safe place.
“I’m already holding it tightly!” Wei Yu, of course, felt ashamed about losing his sword. For someone trained in martial arts since childhood, being unable to hold a sword was the greatest disgrace.
“Holding it tightly and still dropping it. Aren’t you just talking nonsense with your eyes open?”
“It’s because this monster is too strong. Can’t blame me.” He couldn’t contain his impulsive temper, and only in the face of embarrassment and urgency did he dare to shout back at Ziyuan.
“I told you to escape!”
“If I run away now, it would be more shameful than losing the sword!”
At this critical moment, the two of them started arguing, ignoring the fact that the silver giant horse had already charged towards Ziyuan.
Wei Yu instantly reached into his backpack, pulled out two items, and raised them both towards the giant horse.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
A thick smell of gunpowder spread, and the rhythmic gunfire resounded, shaking their eardrums.
“A Prince talking here, you beast, obediently die to the side for me!”
The blood-red twin guns were still aimed at the silver horse, and the six bullet holes from the gunfire were all on the horse’s neck. A disgusting viscous liquid, resembling tar, flowed from the dark holes. The giant horse’s limbs went limp, slowly collapsing to the ground. Its massive body twitched occasionally, and from its wide mouth, a lot of saliva mixed with foam flowed.
“Dead… right?” Ziyuan leaned forward and asked, stealing a glance at Wei Yu from the corner of his eye.
Holding two eight-inch revolvers with peachwood handles in his hands, the elegant and simple gun barrels were adorned with a noble blood-red glow. Despite the elegance, it didn’t match Wei Yu’s usually lively and noisy personality at all.
“I don’t know; it’s my first time using a gun in real combat,” Wei Yu could only shrug in response.
Ziyuan couldn’t help but admire Wei Yu. He had a hidden side that often surprised Ziyuan with unexpected actions. The instant he drew the gun and fired just now was incredibly fast, and the accuracy of the shots was jaw-dropping. Ziyuan had to admire his skill, which could only be achieved through rigorous and intense training. Wei Yu, to compensate for the inability to freely use the power of the Hero on his body, chose to specialize in this field.
“Compared to the abilities of a Hero, your marksmanship is quite excellent,” Ziyuan spoke in a roundabout way, unable to be straightforward even when giving praise. However, if it were mockery or merciless sarcasm, he could say it without holding back.
“Haha, I guess I can’t deny that,” Wei Yu chuckled helplessly, scratching his head. However, they heard another roar from the front.
“Neigh, neigh…” The silver horse writhed once again, pulling its entire body up. The bullet wounds on its neck gradually connected into a crack, starting to split vertically, eventually dividing the neck into two halves. Following that, the muscles wriggled, and unbelievably, two more horse heads regenerated.
“Ugh, what kind of monster is this!” Wei Yu felt nauseous witnessing this disgusting resurrection scene.
“It’s disgusting to this extent.” Even Ziyuan, covering his stomach uncomfortably, looked repulsed.
Sharp horns pierced through the newly regenerated heads. The silver horse with two heads neighed hoarsely, arrogantly lifting its hooves and kicking in mid-air. Then, it charged straight at Ziyuan.
“Wah! It’s coming, it’s coming! That super disgusting creature!” Wei Yu quickly hugged Ziyuan from behind, lifting him into the air to evade the horse’s charge.
“Let me down; this position is stupid.”
“At a time like this, you’re worried about whether it’s stupid or not? Ziyuan, do you even feel any tension?”
“Do I have to look stupid just to feel tense?”
“Wait, this is not the time for us to argue. Wah!”
Silver horse.. Hoarsely.. Haha (I am easily amused)
Hmmm… the way the author writes this story makes me think that someone cut off Ell’s wings when he was a baby and somehow attached them onto the little Wei Yu. His parents, maybe, thinking he would become a full-fledged hero? No matter who, if this is correct, it’s a pretty disgusting & horrible thing to do.