The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 624: Undercurrents in the Imperial Capital

“Swoosh!”

Shien Buztout’s figure appeared in a garden of the Bigusler residence.

“Sigh…”

Rubbing his temples, Shien tried to process the information he just received, feeling a headache coming on.

After learning about Leisha and Lasha’s true origins, he finally understood why those influential figures paid so much attention to them and always acted strangely around them.

“No wonder Lucy wasn’t very happy about me getting too close to them.”

Their existence was too special and too important. One wrong move could cause a huge commotion.

Although Shien knew they had extraordinary origins and were somehow related to the Demon King, he didn’t expect the connection to be so deep.

Shien wasn’t afraid, but he felt like he’d been dragged into a massive vortex. If he wasn’t careful, even he might be crushed.

“I need to have a good talk with them after this is over.”

Shien thought.

But for now, he didn’t want to be distracted by such a complicated matter. He had enough on his plate, including Nien’s mystery. He would deal with them one by one.

For now, he would focus on Mara.

Shien, with his exceptional adaptability, sorted out his priorities and stopped worrying. He put aside his concerns and returned to his room.

The women’s reactions were surprisingly calm.

Lilith, not understanding what was happening, tilted her head and snuggled into Shien’s arms.

Diere also seemed to have adjusted her mentality, not saying much, just discussing the current situation with Shien.

Since Shien had found her, Diere no longer planned to act alone. She knew they needed a new plan to retrieve her horn.

Shien wasn’t in a hurry either. He believed Diere’s horn was most likely in Mara’s hands.

And with such a major incident in the Imperial Capital, Mara must be on her way back.

Therefore, as long as they were prepared, they would eventually encounter that venomous Consort.

At that time, they would settle the score.

“Let’s wait a little longer,” Diere agreed after some thought.

Lilith had no objections, or rather, she might not have even understood. Her thoughts were simple: follow Shien, obey his orders, and defeat anyone who tried to bully him.

Under such circumstances, Shien paid some attention to Lasha.

She was calm and composed, her expression unchanged, silently tending to Leni, as if nothing had happened.

After a while, Leisha returned, sighing and pulling Lasha aside to talk about something.

Shien watched them thoughtfully.

Various undercurrents were stirring.

…

In the following days, various commotions occurred in the Imperial Capital.

After the Raifurut annihilation, the Emperor’s madness, the strange phenomenon in the wilderness, and various other incidents, many things happened one after another.

For example, with the Emperor mad and the Empire leaderless, ambitious nobles began to interfere in state affairs, causing conflicts.

Some called for inviting Pope Yuler from the Kingdom to dispel the Emperor’s curse.

Some called for releasing Prince Harvis from house arrest to take charge.

Others suggested electing a new Emperor, their true intentions obvious.

The Emperor’s madness was like adding fuel to the fire, igniting the already unstable situation.

All the nobles had their own considerations, stances, plans, and ambitions, creating unprecedented tension in the Imperial Palace.

Seizing this opportunity, Rockto, along with Tilly, returned to the Imperial Knight Order, easily gaining the support of his loyal subordinates, and finally entered the Imperial Palace, intervening in the chaos.

On the surface, he claimed his innocence and demanded his name be cleared. In reality, he wanted to free Harvis from house arrest.

The Renitra family, led by Saliro, naturally wouldn’t let Rockto succeed. After Rockto entered the palace, they also joined the fray, arguing in the throne room.

This made the citizens of the Imperial Capital even more anxious.

“The Empire is in chaos.”

“The nobles are about to start fighting.”

“What… what will happen to us?”

“Oh god…”

The commoners were uneasy, praying for the Empire to overcome this chaos and return to its former strength and peace.

But the situation became increasingly tense, the chaos in the Imperial Palace continuing without resolution.

Someone did contact Pope Yuler, asking him to dispel the Emperor’s curse, but Yuler hadn’t responded yet, either still considering or the message being intercepted.

Harvis hadn’t been released from house arrest either, as the nobles of the Imperial Consort’s faction strongly opposed it, claiming his suspicion of treason hadn’t been cleared.

The proposal to elect a new Emperor also went nowhere.

No solution could satisfy everyone.

The chaos continued for several days.

Until one day, exciting news finally spread throughout the Imperial Capital:

“Princess Capeline has returned with the Broken Blade Knight Order!”

“Our Valkyrie is back!”

“The missing second princess has finally returned!”

The citizens of the Imperial Capital were excited. The return of a true royal, the beloved second princess, was a boost to the anxious Empire.

The chaos finally subsided somewhat.

…

Imperial Capital, Bigusler Residence.

After several days of struggle, although Harvis hadn’t been released from house arrest, Rockto, with his prestige and strength, had achieved some results, having the detained members of the Bigusler family released.

Thanks to this, the Bigusler residence was no longer just filled with servants, but also fully armed knights patrolling, making the mansion look grand and imposing again.

The Bigusler family finally looked like the Empire’s foremost knight family, exuding an aura of strictness, resilience, seriousness, and strength, making it hard to believe that they were recently suppressed by the Renitra family and monitored by many nobles.

Although there were still spies watching, they no longer dared to be so blatant, carefully concealing themselves.

On this day, a guest visited the Bigusler residence.

Tilly personally informed Shien.

“She wants to see you,” Tilly said, standing at Shien’s door, looking at him playing with Lilith, her expression complex.

Shien wasn’t wearing his cloak, his true appearance revealed to Tilly.

Seeing the true face of this mysterious expert, younger than herself, who not only repelled the Renitra family but also annihilated the entire Raifurut family, Tilly felt complicated emotions.

He really was younger than her.

Tilly also finally learned Shien’s identity.

Earl Buztout of the Mitra Kingdom.

Fiancé of the Kingdom’s Treasure.

He tamed a dragon, defeated the Old Demon Faction, amazed the Kingdom, and was supported by the Demon Race and the God Race, backed by the Dragon Demon and the strongest Evil God.

This human, who recently rose to prominence and caused a sensation throughout the Human Realm, even throughout Omnipotence, was now here, having made a name for himself in the Empire.

Knowing all this, Tilly’s feelings were even more complex.

Shien, however, ignored her.

“It’s about time,” he muttered, as if he knew who Tilly was talking about, handing Lilith to Diere.

Diere, still wearing her black robe and hood, stood by indifferently.

Lilith didn’t stay with Diere either. She preferred Lasha’s company.

So, Lilith ran to Lasha, who was tending to Leni, and snuggled into her arms, enjoying being petted.

Leisha had disappeared, her whereabouts unknown.

Tilly naturally saw all of this.

Two things caught her attention.

First, who was the little girl lying unconscious on the bed?

Second, who was the dangerous-looking girl in the black robe?

Tilly had never seen them before.

She wanted to ask, but seeing her father and Shien’s nonchalant attitudes, she knew it would be pointless.

If they wanted to tell her, they would. If they didn’t, no amount of questioning would change that.

Having been “beaten down” by Shien, Tilly seemed to have matured and learned to think for herself.

She no longer acted arrogantly, but humbled herself slightly.

“Are you going, Earl Buztout?” Tilly asked, her tone complex.

Shien nodded casually.

“Let’s go meet her,” he said, turning to Diere, “Want to come with me?”

Diere didn’t immediately agree.

“If it’s about dealing with Mara, then I’ll go,” she said.

“Then let’s go.”

Shien’s words told Diere that the person they were meeting was there to discuss dealing with Mara.

Diere stopped talking and stood up with Shien.

“Same as always, I’ll leave this to you, Lasha,” Shien instructed, glancing at her.

“Yes,” Lasha replied softly.

Lilith looked at Shien, then at Lasha, hesitated, then left Lasha’s arms and ran to Shien.

Although Shien didn’t seem like he was going to fight, and she probably wouldn’t understand their conversation, Lilith still wanted to follow him.

Even though she wasn’t as clingy as before, Lilith was still closest to Shien.

“Let’s go.”

Shien naturally wouldn’t refuse, chuckling and picking up Lilith, then holding Diere’s hand, he left the room.

Watching this scene, Tilly couldn’t help but mutter,

“Left hug, right hug…”

This Earl of the Kingdom really acted like a spoiled brat.

How did he manage to reach Legendary Level at such a young age?

Grumbling, Tilly followed them.

They left the room and headed towards the Bigusler residence’s reception hall.

…

After several days of repairs, the ceiling of the reception hall, damaged by the battle between Rockto and Saliro, had been restored.

With the help of magic, such minor damage could be repaired quickly.

And now, numerous figures appeared in the reception hall.

Female knights in armor, with swords at their waists, stood in various corners, guarding the hall, making it look heavily guarded.

Rockto sat on a sofa, his head slightly lowered as a sign of respect to the person opposite him.

And sitting across from Rockto was a princess in knight’s attire, wearing light armor, with a beautiful and heroic appearance.

Led by Tilly, Shien and the others entered.

“Yo,” Shien said with a smile, holding Lilith and Diere’s hands, looking at the princess, “You’re finally back, our Valkyrie.”

The newcomer was Capeline.

Chapter 625: “The Holy Sword Can Be Lost?”

“…So, you’re here?”

Seeing Shien Buztout enter with Diere and Lilith, Capeline stood up almost reflexively, a complicated expression on her face.

Not just Capeline, but the surrounding female knights also reacted with shyness, shame, awkwardness, or bitter helplessness, glancing at Shien before quickly averting their gazes.

These reactions puzzled the others present.

Only Shien, looking at these fully dressed and armed female knights, couldn’t help but recall the scene of them huddled naked around him a few days ago.

A nice memory. Definitely worth cherishing.

Thinking of this, Shien looked at Capeline.

Capeline was no longer disheveled and weak, but as valiant as when they first met. However, she seemed less arrogant and self-righteous, her gaze towards Shien no longer scrutinizing, but straightforward and direct.

It seemed the experiences of the past few days had tempered her, making her more composed.

Shien felt a twinge of sympathy, but he didn’t show it, walking over and sitting down across from Capeline.

Rockto, who had been sitting there, stood up and moved to Capeline’s side, as if indicating that she would lead the conversation. This made Shien raise an eyebrow.

This gesture revealed a lot.

“It seems Lord Bigusler and the princess are ready to cooperate,” Shien said, understanding the situation.

Rockto, who had previously agreed to cooperate unconditionally with Shien, was now siding with Capeline.

After all…

“I’ve always supported Prince Harvis and Princess Capeline, or rather, the faction opposing the Imperial Consort,” Rockto said impassively.

Although he would cooperate with Shien unconditionally, he would still show respect to those he supported.

He was loyal to both Harvis and Capeline.

Tilly also silently moved to Rockto’s side.

Capeline glanced at Diere beside Shien, then looked at Lilith, her eyes flickering.

After a moment, Capeline bowed deeply to Lilith.

This scene was exactly the same as when Rockto first saw Lilith.

It seemed Capeline also knew Lilith’s identity.

“Your Highness?”

Only Tilly, still in the dark, was surprised by this.

Capeline didn’t say anything more and sat down again.

“I’ve met with my brother,” Capeline said, looking at Shien and pursing her lips, “Honestly, I don’t entirely agree with the terms of that deal.”

Clearly, Capeline and Rockto shared the same opinion. Since she had met with Harvis, she must have learned many things from him.

“Then why are you here to see me?” Shien’s expression remained unchanged, looking at Capeline with a faint smile, “Are you here to cancel the deal on Harvis’s behalf?”

“…No,” Capeline said after a moment of silence, then sighed, “If it were before, I would definitely do so, but now, I’ve been persuaded by my brother.”

“Oh?” Shien said, surprised, “So you’ve chosen to compromise?”

“What else can I do?” Capeline said self-deprecatingly, “With our current strength, we can’t fight against the Imperial Consort’s faction without paying a price.”

“Is that so?” Shien disagreed, “Now that you’re back, you shouldn’t be afraid of the Imperial Consort’s faction, right?”

Although the Imperial Consort had many supporters, Capeline’s return should change the situation.

Capeline was an Imperial princess, having inherited a replica of the royal family’s Holy Sword since childhood, a remarkable genius admired by everyone. Although not as exaggerated as Lucy, she was still a prominent symbol of the Empire.

A beautiful, powerful, and outstanding princess with a distinguished family background, hailed as the Valkyrie, was undoubtedly the face of the country, a role model and an object of admiration.

Countless people adored and admired her, a privilege exclusive to princesses.

Under such circumstances, there must be many nobles in the Empire who supported Capeline, and public opinion would definitely be on her side. It wasn’t impossible for her to fight against the Imperial Consort’s faction.

“Now, with the Raifurut family annihilated, and you being no less than a Legendary-level expert, coupled with Lord Rockto’s support, even if you can’t defeat the Imperial Consort’s faction, you should be able to fight them to a standstill, right?”

This was Shien’s opinion.

However, Capeline shook her head helplessly.

“Indeed, the current situation isn’t entirely unfavorable to us. Even though my brother is under house arrest, not all the nobles who support us have defected. And with the loss of the Raifuruts, it’s not like we have no chance of winning.”

But Capeline’s expression wasn’t optimistic.

The reason was simple.

“That’s only if we only consider the forces on the surface.”

“Forces on the surface?” Shien seemed to understand, “You mean they have hidden forces?”

“Of course,” Capeline said, hinting at Shien, “You should have experienced this already, right?”

Indeed.

No one knew about the High Priest’s existence before, right?

A Legendary necromancer, if she attacked with her undead army, the impact would be significant.

Now, the High Priest had been eliminated by Shien, and her secret base destroyed.

However…

“We have reason to believe that the venomous Consort is also supported by the Old Demon Faction.”

Capeline’s words made Shien narrow his eyes. He was also aware of this.

Capeline calmly pointed out,

“The enemy’s hidden forces are unknown, a major concern and problem for us.”

“Even without considering their hidden forces, on the surface, the nobles supporting the Imperial Consort still outnumber those supporting us. Even without the Raifuruts, they still have the Renitras.”

“The Renitra family is the second strongest knight family in the Empire, and Saliro himself is a Legendary-level expert. Their influence within the Imperial Knight Order is only slightly weaker than Lord Rockto and the Bigusler family. Therefore, while Lord Rockto has a group of loyal subordinates, Saliro also has his own.”

“The current situation is that among the nobles, about sixty percent belong to the Imperial Consort’s faction, thirty percent belong to our side, and ten percent are undecided. In any case, we are the weaker side.”

“As for the commoners, because of me, I definitely have more supporters, but they can only provide political support. If a war breaks out, they will need our protection.”

“As for the hundreds of thousands of Imperial Knights, the Empire’s pride, twenty percent have been won over by Saliro, thirty percent are under Lord Rockto’s command, and the remaining fifty percent are undecided. Some don’t dare to choose sides, some don’t want to get involved in this struggle, and some are worried about the impact of internal strife on the Empire, so they don’t want to support either side.”

“In summary, the situation isn’t particularly favorable to us. We might even be at a serious disadvantage.”

Capeline’s expression was serious.

“If the Emperor hadn’t been cursed, that venomous Consort only needs to whisper a few words in his ear, and he would definitely support her, ordering those undecided forces, even us, as the Emperor. We would have to obey to a certain extent.”

“Unless we are determined to rebel and usurp the throne, the Emperor’s influence cannot be ignored.”

This was the current situation. It was indeed difficult to say that it was favorable to them.

Moreover…

“I’ve lost the replica Holy Sword,” Capeline said with a bitter expression.

Yes.

This princess had lost the replica Holy Sword.

The reason was simple.

“That venomous Consort dared to imprison me, so she naturally wouldn’t leave the replica Holy Sword with me.”

Capeline felt annoyed and even humiliated.

The replica Holy Sword was created by the Empire after spending countless resources and effort, even utilizing the bones of their Hero ancestor. It was a symbol of the Empire.

It represented not only power but also honor and a spiritual pillar.

Capeline losing it greatly impacted her strength.

Moreover, the royal family might even blame her for failing to protect the national treasure and punish her.

In other words…

“Because I lost the replica Holy Sword, I might not only lose the support of the people, but I might also be blamed and treated as a sinner.”

Capeline’s words weren’t an exaggeration.

Even though Capeline was the flower of the Empire, the people born on this land still respected and admired the Hero who founded this country.

Capeline’s halo was largely based on her being the wielder of the replica Holy Sword.

Now that she lost it, the problem was significant. It might even cause her to fall from grace and lose the support of the people.

This was a terrible situation.

Shien, however, was speechless.

He only had one thought:

“The Holy Sword can be lost?”

Wasn’t it supposed to return to its owner?

Strange…