If the Royal Family were to invite you to celebrate the birth of the nation's princess, would there be a Nobleman stupid enough to not attend? The answer is no, there would not be such an idiotic fool. And, thus, the Ball Hall of Albion's castle was full.
The nobles, dressed in ludicrously lucrative outfits, murmured among themselves as they stood under the hanging chandeliers of the vast ball hall. The vibrant light created by the fluorescent glow of magic ores illuminated the table piled from one end of the hall to the other with food.
It was here that a certain little boy reached his mischievous hands, his ruby eyes shining, entranced, and his mouth salivating, as he grasped towards a certain delicious looking plate of finely roasted chicken. His stubby, tiny little legs shook as he stood on his tip toes, He raised his head of brazen red hair, staring intently with watered lips at. He could already smell its fragrant delicious scent, he gulped, and just a bit more and he could taste it too.
"Don't touch it, lunch will be served at just an hour after this," A stern voice inexplicably flew into the boy's ears.
Arthur whimpered, turning around and staring at the blonde haired boy that had appeared behind him as if he were a ghost. His face twisted in displeasure. His cheeks puffed out and his eyes watered. He felt as if he had been wronged.
"But, big brother...I'm hungry now..." The young boy cried, holding onto his well sized stomach.
"Look at you, still calling me big brother when you've become one yourself," Layfon laughed, ruffling the boy's hair as he smiled.
The boy looked up with pure, blinking ruby eyes. He rubbed his stomach once more as if to draw attention to it.
"OK," Layfon rolled his eyes, "If you can hold out till lunchtime, I'll convince your mother to allow the chefs to give you an extra serving of chicken and one muffin bread."
Although salivating at the thought and wiping his lips, the boy puffed his cheeks and pouted, "With no greens?"
Layfon shook his head, "You have to eat your greens no matter what. Today's shouldn't be too bad? We're having a side of grilled corn and carrots."
"But...but..."
"Do you want a spanking?" Hallow blue eyes looked down at the child, unwavering beyond that point.
"But...but..." The boy shrunk into his shell.
"I don't want to, no greens, no deal!" Arthur protested.
Ruby eyes and blue eyes crossed one another, each more unwilling to back down than the other. Alas, the blonde boy had always held a soft spot for the little guy.
Layfon gulped, 'Oh god that woman is going to kill me for this...'
"Fine," He released a sigh, his stern gaze easing as he spoke, "No greens."
"It's a promise! A promise! You can't break it!" Arthur screamed joyously as he danced around the older boy.
"Alright," The blonde boy rolled his eyes slightly with a smile, "Let's go see what all the commotion is over there."
He extended his hand.
"Mhmm," Arthur nodded twice, grasping that hand happily, his eyes shined at the area in front with curiosity.
The particular section of the ball hall was quite deserted, only two people stood there, glanced at by the varying nobles that had no idea what to do.
"Hey hey! Are you sure you've all seen how cute my daughter really is?" Abraham loudly asked, his muscular, beefy hands folded in front of his as he glanced left and right.
"Yeah," Martha tilted her head, her emerald eyes quite puzzled, "Why are you all backing away? Come closed and have a look!"
The various nobles groaned in collective displeasure as they rolled their eyes, 'We've seen her enough already! Three times now you've forced us to offer our blessings! PLEASE just let us go home, OK...' Clearly, they would have elected to walk right out of the castle grounds if these two individuals were not the King and Queen of the kingdom they called their home. Alas, they had to show some face.
The King nodded, "My daughter is the cutest in this kingdom and certainly worth more than a passing glance."
"Are you delusional or simply diseased in the brain?" Standing by a certain baby crib, The Queen raised a brow, "Clearly she's not merely the cutest in the kingdom, she's the cutest in the world, you young, old, fool!"
"Ah," Abraham lamented, shaking his head in grief, as the realization of his blunder dawned onto him, "How could I have been so blind? To only claim my daughter as cutest within a nation? To think my eyes are already worsening at this young age."
He nodded with newly shining eyes, "Yes, she could only be the cutest in the world!"
"Fufufu," Martha chuckled, "Now you've seen the light."
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It looked as if the two over zealous parents may have started a religion out of their new child.
"..." Having reached the area with Arthur, Layfon Allen was truly speechless by this Royal couple's antics as he watched in thunderstruck awe. Would the kingdom really be alright in their hands? Although he was only currently 9 years old, he wondered for the future...
However, just then, a single flicker of a shadow, and two figures seamlessly appeared before the two kingdom heads as if ghosts turning corporal.
Looking up, Altia Shin's purple eyes gleamed, "I've brought my apprentice, she will be in charge of the princess's protection."
Seeing this lovely chance when the King and Queen were for once distracted, the nobles hurriedly left the area. They could not, could not, walk fast enough and had never walked faster in their lives.
Yet, Layfon and Arthur watched on curiously from a distance.
"Oh?" Abraham and Martha both spoke at once as they glanced between each other then looked at the girl that stood at the left of the Throne's Guard.
A little girl. Golden-haired and golden-eyed, and dressed in a simple black and white maid attire. She stared at the couple with a dreadful air of emotionlessness.
"Her?" They asked in tandem as they turned their heads once more.
Altia nodded, "She's more than capable and is improving with every passing day, she will hold the upfront protecting while my shadow's handle the rest before she's capable to stand on her own."
"Mhmm," The two nodded coherently, "We trust your judgment."
'What an interesting couple...' Altia smiled. She took the hands of her apprentice, who was barely shorter than herself...and led her to peek at the crib.
"Look, Ais, this is your new master. Maria Springfield, princess of Albion, and the person you will protect with your life."
The golden-haired girl peered over the crib as she looked at the small baby. At that moment, Maria, the baby thought to itself, 'Who's this new big sis?' As her tiny hands tried to inspect the face of the girl.
Abraham spoke up, "Will she be alright? Has she...isn't she still broken down from that day?"
"Do you really think so, Abraham?" Altia raised a brow as she pointed towards the girl, "Look closely, that's the first time she has smiled since then."
Abraham glanced towards the girl and couldn't help but take a deep breath; she was smiling so leisurely, smiling so gracefully as she stared at Maria's little giggling face.
Altia Shin plainly stated, "I gave her a new reason for living."
Her voice sounded neither happy nor sad at her accomplishment. Simply stating a fact, she folded her arms and nodded. Simply watching in a dull gaze.
"I gave her a reason to live." She emphasized once more.
"Say," She suddenly eyed him, "How old do you think she is?"
Abraham raised a brow, "Judging by how she looks, 12 maybe 13?"
Altia shook her head, "Merely four years old..."
"Four?" Martha nearly screamed at the side, since when were four-year-old toddlers growing at this fast a rate?
"I couldn't initially believe it either..." Her dark purple eyes glimmered, "They had the nerve to use demonic blood, souls, and cores in tandem with magic to forcefully raise them like farm animals to be used for their bidding. Forced to both mentally and physically age."
Her eyes dulled, "Only she remains alive to this day."
The two-kingdom heads couldn't help but take pity upon the girl.
Yet, Martha noticed a certain group out of the corner of her eyes.
"Hey," She nudged her husband.
"Hmm?"
"Your counselors want you, seems as if something important." She pointed.
Abraham looked towards where she had pointed to find a group of orderly men standing about in slight awkwardness as they waited for him.
Instantly, he frowned in displeasure.
What could possibly be more important than standing by his newborn daughter?
He mumbled unpleasant words under his breath as he walked towards the group. His body passed right beside them and mumbled 'follow me'.
The nobles knew they had incurred the wrath and anger of this twenty-four-year-old king. And, although they did not know why and how they angered him, they hurried to follow in his wide steps as they left the grand and ceremonious ballroom.
* * *
"What!? The demon king is awakening soon!? Why didn't you tell me sooner!" The king shouted with rage.
'Sir, we tried to tell you as soon as we could, yet you always shooed us away saying you wanted to spend time with your new daughter.' The nobles felt wronged within their hearts, but they wouldn't dare voice out their thoughts, and could do naught but sigh.
"How much time do we have?" Abraham finally calmed and asked a vital question.
One of the nobles stepped forwards, a man with graying hair, and spoke for the others "Judging by the path of the red star within the sky, 15 years with a margin of error. However, sir, although this time seems long, I strongly advise you to start your preparations."
The other gathered men and women all nodded in agreement.
"Hmm? Right," Abraham also agreed "If we don't start our preparations, we would be hard-pressed to survive this chaos to come."
Within this land and expansive continent, there were two domains; the demonic domain of the demons, and the human domain. Usually, all would be peaceful between the two as no one was willing to wage an endless and blood filled war against the other race. However, every 100 years, a new demon king would awaken from the blackened spring of demonic energy located deep within the demon realm. He was the sole demon with enough power to strike fear into the other demons below him and order them to do his bidding. Then it would be a war between races.
The land would grow asunder with crimson blood and the cries of the wailing victims of war would haunt the night sky for years to come.
In the end, the human race had always managed to kill the demon king, but they were always unsuccessful in destroying the demonic spring which birthed the next. They would have tried to nuke it but sadly, or maybe thankfully, this world didn't have nukes. It did have high-grade magic like
However, one thing was certain, the birth of the demonic king marked the years of chaos that would follow his rise. When the red star entered the range of the moon, that was the beginning.
Abraham nodded as all these thoughts spun within his mind, and finally settled on an action, "Call Eliza Chrown to me."
A resounding gulp echoed as the nobles fidgeted quite nervously among themselves.
Sweating bullets, the graying old man spoke, "Sir...are you sure?"
Abraham nodded, "I am. Bring her."
'Oh god...' The various counselors were already rolling in their graves, 'Please don't let it be me that has to disturb that mad loli's vacation!' And prayed in their heart to not be chosen for the task of summoning the Kingdom's Army Commander from her requested, and much deserved, leave of absence. The last time someone had gotten in the way of her relaxation...they gulped once more.
Yet, in the end, they could only nod. It was their job to do these matters after all.
Just as they prepared to depart with heavy hearts, Abraham's voice drifted over once more, "Also...make sure no word of this gets into the public ears. I don't want any chaos within my kingdom."
"Your word will be carried out, your highness." The nobles gave a small bow and finally departed.
Abraham's brows furrowed deeply as he watched them walk away.