Chapter 125 - 52: "First Meeting

Chapter 125: Chapter 52: "First Meeting

"Demon Crystals?" Inside the office, Veronica’s voice carried a hint of surprise.

She had been just as curious about the weapon that dealt such massive damage to the demons, but assuming it was Lilia’s latest research, she had kept her questions to herself. She hadn’t expected Lilia to share the secret so freely, completely unbothered by her cautious restraint.

"How could a simple Demon Crystal hold such tremendous power?" Veronica asked, still puzzled.

"A simple Demon Crystal wouldn’t be enough, of course. But it’s a completely different story once you add Demonic Qi," Lilia said with a smile. "The corruptive power of Demonic Qi is incredibly potent; it permeates everything. Because of this very trait, the Demonic Qi will endlessly surge into the Demon Crystal until it triggers an explosion. In a way, it’s turning their own strength against them—using the power of demons to destroy demons."

Hearing Lilia’s explanation, Veronica finally understood, feeling a wave of awe.

Anyone who had ever taken a practical magic course knew that pumping excessive Magic Power into a Demon Crystal would cause it to detonate. Yet, no one had ever thought to apply this concept to the war against the demons.

After a brief hesitation, Veronica asked if she could share this information with the Mages at the Royal Capital Magic Academy. If everyone learned this method, the demon threat would be drastically reduced. They might even be able to drive the demons out of Light’s territory in one fell swoop. Knowing it felt a bit unfair to the actual inventor, Veronica promised to emphasize in her letter that Lilia was the one who originally developed the method. At the very least, the Magic Academy would be obligated to pay her a handsome patent fee.

Lilia certainly didn’t mind disseminating this "technology." If she had wanted to keep it a secret, she wouldn’t have told Veronica in the first place.

"But... could we hold off on that for just a little while longer?"

"Of course," Veronica nodded. "Do you have other concerns?" ℴ

"Yes, there is actually one thing—"

KNOCK, KNOCK.

Before Lilia could finish her sentence, a knock at the door interrupted them.

The maid, Sophie, pushed the door open and announced that they had a visitor waiting outside: the Viscount from Ovis.

Veronica frowned. "Why is he here all of a sudden?"

She hadn’t seen Lilia in nearly half a year. Now that they had finally reunited, she really didn’t want anyone disturbing them. She was just about to have Sophie turn him away when Lilia spoke up beside her.

"Why are there people from Ovis here?" Lilia asked. She had wanted to ask this earlier when they were outside the city walls.

The relationship between Ovis and Light couldn’t be considered bad, but it was by no means good. Lilia had heard that Ovis was also under attack by demons. Under such circumstances, why weren’t they dedicating all their forces to defending their own territory? How did they have the spare time to send reinforcements to Light? During her previous timeline when she was in Ovis, she hadn’t exactly seen them exhibit this kind of international solidarity.

"Ovis has indeed been attacked by demons as well, but the main battlefield remains here in Light," Veronica explained. "Their reason for supporting us is quite simple. Although the demons have vast numbers, they don’t have enough to split their forces and conquer both countries simultaneously. As long as they can halt the demons’ main army in Light, they can keep the casualties in Ovis to an absolute minimum."

Veronica clenched her fists. "The destructive power of the demons is simply too great. This time, even if we manage to drive them out of Seville, it will take at least five years for the land corrupted by the Demonic Qi to recover. Not to mention the destroyed homes, the dead civilians..."

All of it would deal a devastating blow to the Light Kingdom.

"What about the Hess Empire?" Lilia asked, bringing up another question that had been weighing on her mind. "If Ovis has already joined the fray, why are they still standing on the sidelines?"

"The Hess Empire..." Veronica mused. "I don’t know much about them myself. Every citizen there is deeply religious, and the theocracy completely overrides the monarchy." A mocking smile touched the corners of her lips. "Perhaps those Gods sitting high up in the Star Realm handed down a divine decree, commanding Their people not to resist."

Lilia nodded in understanding. So that was it.

Faith existed in Light and Lien as well, but the vast majority of the population still lived under the rule of the monarchy. The high-ranking rulers Lilia had encountered so far—whether it was the two Princes and Nobles of Lien, or Veronica and her peers in Light—all shared a surprisingly consistent attitude toward the Gods. They respected and permitted the existence of the Gods, but they chose not to worship Them.

This was true for Ovis as well. The rulers maintained a tacit agreement to suppress the Church’s expansion, preventing it from holding too much sway over the hearts of the populace in order to keep their own reigns secure. Lilia had assumed the Hess Empire operated the same way, but now it seemed they had their own unique political climate.

As the two conversed, the maid, Sophie, waited quietly by the door. Veronica looked up at her and was just about to speak when Lilia interjected.

"Since he’s already here, let’s invite him in. I actually want to ask him about the situation in Ovis anyway."

"Alright." Naturally, Veronica wasn’t going to turn down her suggestion.

After Sophie bowed and left to carry out her orders, Veronica and Lilia rose and made their way to the reception room.

On the way, Lilia asked with feigned nonchalance, "Sophie mentioned earlier that the visitor is a Viscount. I wonder who it is?"

Veronica found her curiosity amusing. "You’ve never interacted with anyone from Ovis. No matter who it is, you probably won’t recognize him." She paused, her tone shifting to one of teasing pride. "However, given your massive contribution during this operation, I imagine it won’t be long before everyone knows *your* name."

Lilia felt a bit bashful at the praise. It sounded like the unrealistic dream of a child.

Seeing her avert her gaze, Veronica smiled and gently steered the conversation back on track. "I haven’t heard this Viscount’s name before, either. He must be one of Ovis’s newly minted Nobles."

The two arrived outside the reception room. Sophie greeted them at the door, informing them that the Viscount was already waiting inside. Veronica gave a slight nod, dismissing the maid, before reaching out to push the double doors open.

The young man inside immediately looked up.

He appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, with tousled blonde hair that gleamed like sunlight and clear, emerald-green eyes reminiscent of a pristine lake. Since he had just returned from the battlefield, he hadn’t changed out of his combat gear. He was clad in a standard set of Light Armor forged in Ovis, which only accentuated his tall, pine-straight posture.

Upon seeing the two women at the door, a warm, gentle smile graced his lips. He offered a respectful bow. His movements were impeccably proper, yet they inexplicably exuded a relaxed, effortless charm.

"Good evening, Princess Veronica, Princess Lilia," he greeted, accurately addressing both of them. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Lucian. Lucian Williams."