The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)-Chapter 27: Even when you have the will, it’s useless without the courage

Chapter 27: Even when you have the will, it’s useless without the courage

Wow, damn, I had been living here for almost two months and I had no idea there was a communication device all along.

Just to give you context, this world was set on that standard fantasy in a vague medieval era with swords and magic and whatnot. Rather than fossil fuel, they use magic stones in their technological path.

Totally environmental friendly.

Ah, magical world. Don’t you think life should be easier with magic abound? Absolutely not. Because where there was tangible power, there would be a monopoly of it. Especially in a place with a clearly had defined class system.

Knowledge, the very foundation of technological advances, was a treasure that was kept within the ruling class to maintain their power and superiority. Only after that knowledge and the technology were released to the masses could the technology grow rapidly.

As it was, the few magical technologies that existed here were only accessible to the upper classes—the aristocrats and the scholars.

Or at least, that was what happened in the human realm.

I had no idea how things were here, in the demon realm. But there was one thing I believed to be the same; communication and transportation done with magic were expensive. Rather than the method’s monopoly, one of the reasons for the elite accessibility was due to the high cost of fuel.

The other reason for this was because, in the era of conflict, technological advances were made not for people’s well-being, but for military purposes.

Like the communication device on the top floor.

The device, which looked like a marble the size of a bowling ball, could be used to send a written message like a telegram, a sound recording, or a video conference. Its development was meant to be a tactical move and emergency measure, and it was so expensive that only critical infrastructures like palaces, castles, and magic towers had them. Not to mention the cost of operating such devices. Even Valmeier never had a chance to see or use such things.

But who was the Master of this Tower?

Only the wealthiest man in the whole realm! Hahahaha—damn! To think he installed such expensive device on his Lair.

"Do you want to use it?" Zia asked, peeking from behind me as we stood in front of the device.

"Can I?" rather than whether I wanted to or not, using a luxurious thing like this just to ask why Natha had been absent felt like a waste.

But Angwi, who came all the way up with us, walked to the platform, and looked at me. She pointed to the device as if asking me what kind of message I would like to send.

Swiftly, I shook my head and my hand, telling her I had no intention of using it.

"You won’t? Why? I don’t think Lord Cousin would mind if you do,"

How could you say that when I didn’t even know if that guy was mad at me or not?

I did come here immediately, but only because of the revelation that this was the communication device. I was just surprised and wanted to inspect it again. However much I wanted to reach Natha, I didn’t have the audacity to use a device meant for emergency calls just for a simple ’Hey, why haven’t you come to see me this past month?’ like a sulking lover.

I wasn’t even sure we could be called lovers.

It was nice though, knowing that there was a means to call him when it came to it. I just wished there was something smaller, or more private.

You know—something that didn’t have to be received by the operator on the other side first.

So, after looking around some more and taking notes about the interesting arrays and magic tech involved, I came down again with Zia, leaving Angwi looking at my back as we go.

* * *

"The sky looks so blue~"

I mumbled listlessly at the bright sky. After two months, Angwi finally stopped treating me like a fragile glass and allowed me to roam the Tower’s field. The first thing I did was what I had wanted to do the first time I saw the field of bluegrass; laying down.

The weather had always been nice in the Tower, thanks to the temperature-balancing system—all hail magic, I guess. The magical array seemed to extend to the gardens too, which felt like one huge greenhouse. But the outer grass field and the forest that spread across the mountain were still following the natural change of season.

It had been too hot for the past month, and Angwi had banned me from going there, even to have a little picnic. But now that the fall was approaching and the weather had been cooler, it felt nice to finally be able to walk further from the Tower.

Yes, it was nice to let my mind stop wandering about the long absence of the Tower’s owner too.

Taking advantage of being alone without the maid and Zia, I trudge barefoot along the soft grass. It was fascinating that the plant would stand back up immediately after being stepped upon. It felt soft, a little ticklish, but nice and comforting.

Again, taking advantage of the absence of our dearest nanny, I lay down on the grass, looking into the blue sky.

I had used to being surrounded by the smell of books in the library, or the smell of scented oil I used while bathing and herbs that got spreading in the suite. And they were nice, sure, but this...the scent of soil and grass, the smell of sun and sweet wind...

It was divine.

Playing in the field, feeling the ground with my own feet, relishing the breeze and bathing in sunlight—they were things I had longed for since my previous life. Things I had given up for with my prolonged, permanent stay in the ward. Things I had forgotten, replaced by the scent of medicine and antiseptic.

It felt so good to sink into nature, as I slowly closed my eyes. And everything just felt more intense somehow, as if my body were craving for it. Even without meaning to, my mana roused up almost automatically, making circles through my circuit energetically. And the more that happened, the more my consciousness spread out, touching everywhere.

I felt the grass, the soil, the little bugs crawling around. Felt the flowers swaying, and the trees at the edge of the forest. The wind was carrying messages from one plant to another, and the sun caressed them all, caressed me, softly, like a lullaby.

Like a cool, gentle touch on my head.

My eyes were opened, not to the blue sky or glaring sun. The sky was on his skin, and the sun was on his smile, and he spoke softly; "Did I wake you?"

"I wasn’t sleeping," the words, unexpectedly, came out easier than I thought they would be.

"You looked so peaceful," he cool hand still caressing my hair, thumb stroking my forehead. "Empty thought. Were you meditating?"

Huh. I had no idea. "No," I felt like I had to get up, but I was too comfortable to move right now. "I don’t know. I just...let it be..."

It didn’t make sense even to me, but he smiled as if he knew something. "You’re awakening,"

He retracted his hand, and I felt a pang of loss. "Awakening what?"

My eyes followed his movement voluntarily, watching him shift beside me and lie down—head parallel to mine, but our bodies pointed in opposite directions.

"Your other bloodline," he answered after laying down, eyes staring at the sky like how I did before.

Well, this was interesting.

"Half of your blood is of the Children of Nature, and it seemed to be manifesting greatly, seeing as it even got you dying from mana blockage."

Yeah, that one sucked.

"It’s not all bad," he responded to my thought like it was natural. "You know, I was actually curious about why you only use light magic when you are part-Druid and have the Spear of Judgment."

I couldn’t help but raised my body at that. "What do you mean? I use light magic because I was a priest. It’s all I have ever been taught of,"

Natha turned his head to look at me, a smile playing easily on his lips. "From now on, try to practice other elemental magic. I’ll send books written by elves in the common tongue."

I blinked at his revelation, trying to recall the feeling I had earlier, when I felt like sinking into nature. "You mean...I can use other elements?"

"Val, you’re a Druid," he chuckled, hand reaching up to rub my chin. "You can use them all."

Oh? Oh!

"Was that why the elemental bird gave me Jade?" my thought ran to the little guy sleeping on the bed right now. Natha didn’t answer, but his smile told me I was right.

"When you’re getting more proficient, give the bird various attributes of mana. It’ll be a sight to see when it grows."

Hmm, I wondered if the white feather would evolve into various colors then, like a rainbow. The thought roused my enthusiasm more than the revelation about my awakening.

I laid down again, grinning at the imagery of rainbow Jade. But then I remembered about what he said before. "Then what about the Spear? What’s that got to do with me being part Druid?"

"You think the Spear came to you because you were a priest?" ƒгeewebnovёl.com

"What, then it came to me because I’m a Druid?" I raised my brow. "Why would it do that?"

Rather than answering, he laughed. "Ah, that’s because the Spear of Judgment belonged to a Druid tribe."

"What?!" I almost rolled around because of this, hovering my face above the Demon Lord.

"How sad," Natha chuckled, a mocking tone in his voice. "Robbing a tribe’s treasure and telling people it’s their God’s artifact. In the first place, judgment is the role carried by the God of Nature."

"...really? Why?"

Most renditions in the human realm always talked about how Judgment was brought upon the world by the God of Virtue to punish wrongdoers and heretics. Although, if I thought about it now, of course they would say that kind of propaganda and justification.

I just never thought it was made to cover up a thieving act.

"Because it’s nature that could cast instant judgment in this world," he said with a smirk. There was a sharp coldness in his eyes, flashing just for a second. "Whether nature becomes our friend or turns into a disaster, it depends on our treatment. Nature is impartial, and so it’s the perfect judge."

Huh. I laid my head down again, staring at the sky. That made sense. Since I never held Alveitya before, I had no idea how it really felt. But I remembered that Valmeier was feeling frustrated because he felt like he couldn’t pull out the Spear’s full potential.

So that was why.

"That’s fascinating..." I muttered.

"I’ll tell you more once you’re well enough to pull the Spear out."

I turned my head to look at him, and from here, I could see his face clearly; the moonlight eyes and the deep blue skin, the beautiful horns with intricate patterns. Ah...if I focus on his demon trait, it felt like I saw him entirely as the demon Natha, rather than the shadow of that young doctor.

My hand reached out before I realized it, the tip of my fingers brushed the dark protrusion above his temple, and he flinched. His eyes widened for a bit, and his head jerked away in reflex.

"Oh, sorry," I retracted my hand swiftly, turning my head the other way. I didn’t think he would give out that kind of reaction. And I sure didn’t think I’d get to see him flustered—even if it was only for a second.

But a cold hand moved my face back to look at him, even pressing on so I couldn’t avert my gaze anymore. "It’s okay since it’s me," he said. "But you shouldn’t touch other demons’ horns or tails."

"Oh, I see...okay," so was that something cultural? But then again, I guessed touching other’s body parts was generally a no-go. Should have thought about that first. It was just that he always touched my face so casually that I got carried away.

Right. Like now, as his hand holding my head in place, and his thumb stroking my earlobe. I didn’t hate it though, and rather than feeling flustered, the cool temperature of his fingers made me feel comfortable.

It felt weird. We hadn’t met for a long time, but I found myself talking to him as if we had breakfast together this morning.

Where was all the apprehension and worry I had for the past month of his absence?

I had resolved myself to talk to him about his question on the rooftop, but this nice, comfortable atmosphere between us weaken my will. Would talk about that shattered this peaceful moment? He didn’t seem angry now, but what if his mood worsen after we talked about it? It was such good weather too...

Uhh—tomorrow? Should I just do it tomorrow?

"So," he suddenly spoke, after we just stared at each other for a while. "A message came saying you want to see me,"

"..."

...that traitorous demon maid!