Chapter 286

In a spacious room with all the amenities.

On a floor covered with red tiles featuring black branch patterns.

A beautiful baby, dressed in dark blue and red, kept crawling, followed by three locusts.

One of them had black wings, and the other two were completely red.

The beautiful Isirid watched her son crawl while one of her maids combed her white hair.

At that moment, someone knocked on the wine-colored door.

"Come in," Isirid said in a cold tone.

Little Persec Sevec sat up and watched with his beautiful blue eyes as the demon entered.

The baby began to babble and crawl toward the figure dressed in a black robe with cursed red patterns.

Persec Sevec looked at the baby with the pale white skin characteristic of the Merlian lineage.

Persec took his great-grandson in his arms, and the three locusts flew around them.

The baby began to babble, pointing at the locusts with a face that looked like that of a spoiled child who wanted to be flattered or rewarded.

In this case, it was the latter, since the baby could sense the cursed energy emanating from his great-grandfather.

"Yes, it seems the Merliano bloodline runs strongly through your veins," said Persec Merliano in a warm tone that few would recognize upon seeing him.

The baby laughed proudly and stopped babbling for just a few seconds.

"Grandpa, you made it," said Isirid in a calm tone.

At that moment, she was wearing a beautiful, flowing red dress with blue and gold embellishments.

"Aren't you going to wear the mask today?" asked Persec Merliano.

"No, today is a special day, both for my son and for my husband; I can't hide anymore," said Isirid in a subtly cheerful tone.

Persec Merliano nodded, realizing that Mart hadn't neglected his granddaughter.

Just then, the baby began to gently tug at his great-grandfather's beard.

"Do you want a present? I think they're spoiling you too much; see this?" Persec conjured the Cursed Grimoire that Mart Sevec had rejected in the past.

The baby reached out his little hands, wanting to grab the grimoire.

"When you go to the Danteriar Academy, I'll give it to you as a gift," Persec told his great-grandson.

The baby was about to cry when he saw the grimoire disappear.

At that moment, Persec uttered a few words, full of malice, that formed a curse.

After that, he took one of the red locusts and infused it with cursed energy.

The baby began to laugh and clap.

When Persec Merliano released the locust, it took on a metallic greenish color and emitted a chilling sound like bones breaking.

But the baby couldn't have been happier.

Isirid shook her head as a subtle smile spread across her face, thinking that her grandfather was spoiling his little great-grandson even more.

...

Night was falling, and the Great Ceremony was about to begin.

What had to happen would happen.

Mart knew it.

He had already prepared himself mentally.

An elderly man with an ivory complexion, dark eyes, black horns, and a slender build—dressed in a solemn blue, red, and gold robe—watched as the demons entered the main hall of the Temple of Secrets.

That elderly man was the High Priest, whom the demons regarded with respect and, in some cases, with fear.

For the figure of the Demon God Alvat was still feared, despite how rarely he was mentioned by the demons.

And through the false eyes of the High Priest, Mart Sevec could observe each of the demons in that sumptuously adorned hall, with hanging lamps on the high ceiling.

Lamps with golden and red lights, which gave the surroundings a solemn and mysterious aura.

At that very moment, Mart was in his study.

He was sitting at his desk.

His gaze was deep, lost in the possibilities and the outcomes.

The living room door opened.

Iristel, wearing a beautiful burgundy dress with gold trim, walked in carrying a beautiful baby girl in her arms.

The little baby was wearing a cute dress in red and blue with some gold accents.

"My little Lirica."

Mart took the baby, and she began to flash a tender smile.

"You're getting more and more adorable," Mart said as he held his daughter.

In that moment, he felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"My children, my legacy," Mart thought as he looked at his daughter.

He knew one thing for certain: he wanted to protect them, not only because they were the future that would strengthen the demons, but also because he felt a deep bond with his children.

Within him still lay the loneliness of his former life—a loneliness that his current family had managed to fill—and for that very reason, he didn't want his children to lack anything, at least not while he was alive.

...

Around the temple, there were lavish demonic vehicles, each one a symbol of its owner's status.

Dozens upon dozens of servants came and went. Some were still organizing and arranging the surroundings, while others were guiding the honored guests to their respective seats.

In the main hall of the Temple of Secrets, there were long, sumptuous benches painted a glossy black with red accents.

There were several benches on the left and several on the right.

On the right would sit the relatives of Marquis Sevec.

And on the left would sit the Marquisate's honored guests.

Time passed, and the first to enter the "Temple of Secrets" were the four demonic lords who had answered Mart's call.

The noble demons of lower rank watched the powerful, high-profile demons with attention and respect.

One of them was Dajem Ertrael, whom Mart Sevec continued to treat as he would a duke.

This was because the late Great Demon General Galot Ertrael enjoyed great prestige among the demons, and Mart hoped that Galot's son would inherit that prestige and, in time, make it his own.

In this way, Dajem Ertrael would become a strong ally.

Another demon whose presence made an impression was the powerful Duke Alfons Asfent, who attended with his family.

The noble demons in attendance remarked among themselves that seeing Dajem Ertrael and Duke Asfent was not all that surprising, as they were known allies of the marquis.

But among those present was another Great Demonic General whose presence made a huge impression: the demon Dristan Mircaz, whose territory bordered that of the Danteriar Academy.