Chapter 437 - The Past: War Part 1
As the years passed, Ar'en and Kana were inseparable. After the soul contract, Kana no longer had any doubts about the man in front of her. She cherished every moment she had with him. It was on the eve of the first snow that Ar'en and Kana were standing out on the balcony of the castle, looking at the snow falling down from the sky. Ar'en fished through his pocket and brought out a black ring made of a special spatial metal. It had a small cosmic stone embedded into it. "Kana..."
"Hmm?" Kana, who was was entranced by the falling snow, looked up at Ar'en.
Ar'en suddenly felt nervous as he clenched and unclenched his fist a few times. Kana looked at the strange expression Ar'en was making and smiled as she asked: "What?"
Ar'en gently took Kana's hand into this and bent down on one knee. "Kana, we have been together a long time now, and today, I would like to ask if you are willing to give me your hand in marriage."
Kana's eyes began to well up with tears. Although she was happy to be by Ar'ens side, she had hoped one day he would finally ask for her hand in marriage. She covered her mouth with her free hand as she nodded her head repeatedly. "Yes! Yes, I will!"
Ar'en smiled brightly and slid the ring onto her finger. "This ring has a storage space inside of it that will allow you to put whatever you want into it. You just need to use your divinity to check inside. I already put in a few things in case of emergencies."
"Mmmm! Thank you!" Kana smiled as she looked at the ring. Finally, she was going to marry the man she loved.
A few months later, on the first day of spring, Kana and Ar'en were wedded. The ceremony was very grand, and everyone was allowed to attend. As Kana was well liked by the citizens, they were all happy to see that their beloved king was now marrying the woman he has loved for so long. Ar'en did not waste any time bedding his new wife. And many months later, Kana was confirmed to be with child.
Her pregnancy was kept in absolute secret as Ar'en knew his child would be sent away. He had picked some of his most trustworthy people to act as the baby's parents and protect the baby until it could finally be out on its own. When the day finally came, the baby was born, and a new baby boy was brought into the world. Like his mother, he had red eyes and white hair. Ar'en used a special magic tool to record the baby before kissing the baby's head and handing it over to his new parents. He then opened a portal to the mortal realm and sent them on their way.
Kana hid away in the bedroom for almost a month. She was heart broken about giving up her baby. But because she made Ar'en promise, she had no choice, or he would die for going against the contract.
Ar'en did everything he could to try to make Kana feel better, but time was the key. She eventually came around, but Kana decided she needed to train. She had to grow stronger so she could get her revenge and bring her baby back home.
Because of all the effort that Ar'en put into his military, they were able to quickly progress. After almost three hundred years had passed, they were already the strongest force in all of the sea of stars. Kana also grew extremely fast and was now equal in strength with Ar'en. If she were to use her withering, she could actually beat him in a fight. Kana also made sure to fulfill her duties as queen as well. Although much talk was circulating on when they were going to produce an heir, Ar'en and Kana never gave an answer to anyone who asked for an answer. Only a select few knew the truth that they had already had a son.
Because of Kana's foresight, the spies from the human domain were actively trying to find out if there was indeed a child that they could use against Ar'en. As the humans began actively trying to investigate the current strength of the demon's domain. Ar'en was planning to gain their siege.
On the eighth day of the fifth month of the year, 13856, Kana and Ar'en took to the front lines and began their siege on the closest major city to the demon's domain.
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"Methie! News!" Kiliffia yelled out as she burst through the inn door. After so long, she had finally gotten news about her father.
"What do you find out?" Methie asked.
"I talked with a homeless man who said he had seen someone resembling my father being taken away by a group of men heading north. He said he was near the front gate when a man resembling my father was entering the town. But just as he entered the gates, a bunch of men in black came out of nowhere and kidnapped him, taking him away. Although this news is not good, it is at least something." Kiliffia had been searching every city and town for even the slightest clues, and finally, after such a long time, she had found one.
"Mmm, as you said, it may not be good news, but it finally gives us something. North huh? The only place north of here is the forbidden swamp that lays before the ancient Gale Mountain range. That place is a death zone." Methie frowned. He did not want to bring his little wife into such a place but he knew she would go even if he said not to.
Kiliffia already knew what Methie was thinking, so she quickly decided their time of departure. Making it so he could not say no. "We will leave in three days after we have gathered supplies."
"Alright but we will need a few peppy birds to test for poisonous gasses. The forbidden swamp is a place you have to tread carefully in."