Chapter 29: The Moon’s Embrace

Moreover, a persistent feeling lingered that her prolonged absence was merely a prelude to some terrifying, grand maneuver.

A shiver traced down Letitia’s spine, and she could not deny that this apprehension formed a significant part of her inner turmoil.

“Astolfo, where has that woman gone?”

‘It was certainly not out of worry for her, absolutely not.’

Letitia cleared her throat, attempting to mask her internal embarrassment, and inquired of the maid beside her as calmly as possible.

“She hasn’t been seen all afternoon, nor did she appear for dinner. Could it be… that she’s preparing something secretive?”

Letitia had initially intended to ask, ‘Could she have already fled?’ but the words caught in her throat, swallowed before they could escape.

For some inexplicable reason, she believed Noah would never simply abandon the Demon King’s Castle, even if she possessed the means to do so—such was Letitia’s unwavering conviction.

“As for Her Holiness… after preparing a sandwich with black pepper and roasted chicken, she took it up to the observatory to eat, mentioning that the night sky was beautiful and she wished to gaze at the stars through the telescope.”

Astolfo glanced upwards; indeed, the night was splendid, utterly cloudless, with a brilliant crescent moon adorning the scenery in a plain silver gown.

The night-blooming grass cultivated in the garden swayed gently with the moonlight, its soft luminescence soothing and healing the soul.

Such weather was indeed perfect for appreciating the moon from the observatory.

“That fellow is alone? Honestly, she could have invited me along.”

Letitia pursed her lips, a hint of displeasure in her expression.

“Astolfo, have the kitchen prepare another portion of the refreshments I just ordered. This King intends to take them to the observatory to eat.”

‘This was absolutely not loneliness, certainly not.’

Letitia merely recalled that she had been avoiding Noah since noon, fearing Noah might feel lonely, and feeling guilty about it, which was why she now considered going to find her.

‘Yes, that’s it, it must be so.’

‘She was only afraid Noah would be lonely; it couldn’t possibly be that she herself was lonely!’

Letitia gave a slight smirk; liches were a species endowed with exceptional regenerative capabilities, their power particularly formidable during the night.

After a full day of recovery, Letitia, now back in peak condition, felt invigorated once more, eager to challenge Noah’s authority.

However, out of caution, she believed she should perhaps prepare something, for after two days, Noah’s gentle yet bottomless allure still left her with a lingering sense of trepidation.

Clutching the test tube concealed beneath her sleeve, she fantasized about Noah, delicate as a fledgling, leaning softly against her shoulder beneath the moonlight, and the smile on Letitia’s lips deepened.

***

“Good, this should suffice.”

Noah dismantled the colossal telescope in the center of the observatory into a dozen components, piling them to one side to create a sufficiently large clear space.

With chalk, she drew a grand circular magic array on the floor, then placed aromatic candles—crafted from various magical ingredients possessing ‘moon’ attributes, such as moonscent grass and deepsleep flowers—at several nodal points of the array.

Noah snapped her fingers, and a holy flame of healing ignited atop the candles; the pale golden fire flickered briefly, replaced by a sustained, gentle purple glow.

A mysterious and ethereal fragrance instantly permeated the entire array, like a dream’s call from a distant homeland.

Noah inhaled deeply of the scent, and the faint traces of irritation and bewilderment in her heart were utterly dispelled, her usually hazy and enchanting eyes now remarkably clear.

Above her, the crescent moon was nearly full; although it wasn’t the optimal time for the ritual, Noah, having a premonition, could no longer afford to delay.

Standing at the very heart of the array, she spread her arms wide, bathing in the brilliant moonlight, and began to chant:

“Form of the Void, form of the Night, form of the Stars, form of the Moon.”

The faint purple flames instantly brightened, and the aromatic candles, positioned at their specific points, seemed like constellations returning to their rightful places.

“Stars and moon return to one, heaven and earth to a single hue.”

“Radiance to us, glory to valiant souls.”

Noah uncorked a bottle and poured the potent ancient dragon’s blood onto the array; the golden-gleaming blood flowed like molten gold along the white chalk lines, transforming them into an array of pure gold.

The pristine white moon and the pure gold array established a connection, and the energy unique to heaven and earth flowed, guided by the aromatic candles, towards Noah at the center.

Noah shed her ceremonial attire, leaving only a cool, light holy maiden’s robe; the silvery moonlight illuminated her delicate features and pristine curves.

She tilted her head slightly, smiling confidently, as if she were the very moon adored by the stars themselves;

That goddess-like, sacred, and flawless posture merged profoundly with the pure white moon.

“Here I stand, heeding the distant call, awakening the noble and ancient bloodline within, merging with that valiant and tenacious soul.”

The White Dragon Blood Ring on her left hand blazed fiercely, its brilliant golden flames domineering and potent, as if intent on incinerating all.

Conversely, the Embrace of Rosemary on her right hand emanated a cool, gentle pale blue light, protecting Noah’s consciousness just as it had during the fusion of moon essence, its refreshing, mint-like aura maintaining her clarity.

“Here I stand, driving the wedge of reality, establishing this present existence, the cornerstone to endure in the mortal realm.”

“I shall transcend the trial of fusion, becoming a being beyond two worlds, thereby connecting to reality.”

“In the name of the Healing Saintess, the White Dragon of the Moon.”

The crimson glow of the White Dragon Blood Ring intertwined with the pale blue radiance of the Embrace of Rosemary, as the pristine full moon slowly descended, its luminous light engulfing both Noah and the magic array.

Heaven and earth, in that singular moment, seemed truly to merge as one.

***

“…Hm?”

The surge of powerful energy erupting within the Demon King’s Castle startled the dozing Tower Knight awake; she looked towards the observatory, then blinked in confusion.

“Tonight’s moon is… so large…”

“And why is it a full moon?”

The Tower Knight could distinctly sense the mana between heaven and earth suddenly becoming vibrant; the pure full moon seemed to have awakened the mysteries inherent in the very laws of existence.

Even at the demon territories a thousand miles away, the exhilarated mana within their bodies could be felt.

The moonlight cleansed impurities from mana, and everyone experienced a fleeting elevation of life.

Both mages and scholars of the arcane would remember this day, for they might have reached the pinnacle of their lives.

Curiosity piqued, the Tower Knight raised her sniper rifle, aiming through the scope to observe the situation within the observatory, only to find her vision obscured by a pure white light, rendering everything indistinct.

Lowering her weapon, she employed magic to enhance her vision, attempting to pierce through the pristine holy light to discern what lay beyond.

The white light gradually receded, ultimately coalescing into a meter-tall dragon egg, or perhaps a cocoon encasing some nascent entity, standing silently in the center of the observatory.