Chapter 60: A Royal Decree and a Secret Device

The Lord of Shapeshifters, a towering and burly figure, stood like a three-meter-tall giant, their entire body concealed beneath a voluminous cloak.

Their hands, resting on the table, were encased in thick gloves, while beneath the low-pulled hood, nothing seemed to reside, making them reminiscent of a colossal monster from a horror film.

“How regrettable, my lords, it’s quite a pleasure to see none of you have perished.”

Letitia, the Demon Lord, arrived belatedly, taking her seat at the head of the six-person square table, uttering these words with a subtly provocative tone.

Though she maintained decent relations with some of the Royal Court Lords, that did not alter the fact that she had no desire to deal with this particular group.

For her, conversing with them was an utter waste of time; she wished to conclude the meeting swiftly so she could go on a date with Noah.

“Hmph, even if someone blew off your head, Demon Lord, this old man would still not perish!”

The Lord of Carrion snorted coldly, the sound waves emanating from his vibrating vocal cords carrying a profound loathing and a palpable curse, as if they were the filthiest, most defiled creations of the entire land.

No maids were present at the meeting place of the Royal Court Lords, precisely to prevent them from succumbing to the Lord of Carrion’s curse, for even those with sufficient strength would suffer ill effects.

“Now, now, don’t say that~ Your big sister is quite looking forward to chatting with little Letitia~ Something interesting is bound to happen, wouldn’t you agree~?”

Elise, the Lord of Nightmares, was all smiles, her blooming smile brimming with anticipation and delight.

Her tone was like that of a fairy from a children’s tale, ignorant of good and evil, as if only amusing matters could pique her interest.

Despite her slightly youthful appearance and figure, her mature self-designation carried no hint of incongruity.

“I have gathered you all here today for one purpose.”

Letitia, unwilling to linger for even a second, forcefully suppressed the self-indulgent Royal Court Lords with her commanding tone.

In truth, she had no desire to summon these individuals, but she needed to make an important declaration regarding upcoming events.

She exchanged a glance with Abraham, and as he gave a slight nod, Letitia declared in a resonant voice:

“Effective immediately, the status of Healing Saintess Noah Autolinde as the Banshee Royal Court Princess shall be formally established. Furthermore, in accordance with both parties’ wishes, the Demon Lord’s Castle and the Banshee Royal Court shall soon be joined in matrimony.”

“As for the subjects of this union… it is none other than myself, the Demon Lord, and Noah, the Princess of this Royal Court.”

Letitia tilted her head slightly, a hint of triumph in her demeanor, as she brazenly declared her unconventional views to the six Royal Court Lords, who represented the core of the demon race.

As expected, even though rumors had long circulated, hearing Letitia personally confirm such an absurd matter still unleashed a storm of uproar among them.

“Absurd! Utterly absurd!”

The Lord of Carrion was the first to lash out, forcefully slamming his decaying staff onto the precious jade table, and roaring with palpable indignation:

“My ears have not yet rotted away, descendant of the Tanis family! What did you just say? To allow a human Saintess to inherit the position of Royal Court Princess?”

“What kind of joke is this!? Are you attempting to defile the noble bloodline of the Royal Court with the lowly blood of humans!?”

“The Immortal Royal Court fully supports His Majesty the Demon Lord’s decision.”

Verenia, still struggling with her warm tea, did not even raise her head, as she diligently extended her tongue, attempting to overcome the tea’s temperature.

Was this truly a trait passed down through their lineage? That languid, indifferent tone, so identical to Letitia’s, was enough to infuriate anyone speaking with her to their death.

“The Vampire Royal Court maintains neutrality on this matter.”

Alisa Violet, a dainty, doll-like vampire loli, offered a somewhat helpless, bitter smile.

She tilted her head, glancing at Letitia, who was gleefully observing their reactions, and couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

‘Clennina… Mother can only help you this far. If you can’t make little Ya change her mind, there’s nothing more I can do…’ Alisa thought bitterly.

“Eh~ isn’t this quite interesting~ Count me in too~”

Elise, the Nightmare who referred to herself as ‘big sister,’ also had her eyebrows curved, and with a gentle smile, joined the Demon Lord’s faction.

At this point, including Abraham, who was on the initiator’s side, three Royal Court Lords had expressed support for Letitia’s decision. The only one remaining neutral was the Vampire Royal Court, harboring a slight personal agenda.

The Lord of Carrion attempted to attack Letitia from the high ground of bloodline purity, yet he had forgotten that the rules of succession for Royal Courts had always prioritized strength above all else.

Naturally, most current Royal Court Lords were descendants of the original bloodlines, but the reverence for bloodlines stemmed simply from their inherent power; if a collateral descendant proved powerful, they could naturally usurp the position.

Just like the Demon Lord, as long as one was powerful enough, any demon could undergo the trials and challenge the Demon Lord.

Fate always granted everyone an equal opportunity, and it was precisely this cruel yet fair selection system that allowed the demon race to thrive and endure to this day.

From this perspective, as a human who had refined the essence of the moon, the only obstacle preventing Noah from becoming the Royal Court Princess was her succubus identity.

However, the moment her succubus identity gained the recognition of the Royal Court Lords, no rule would remain to impede Noah.

“Absurd! Utterly absurd!”

The Lord of Carrion was beside himself with rage, his decaying eyes glowing red like a rabid dog ready to lunge at any moment.

“So, you short-sighted fools….”

The Lord of Carrion’s angry outburst halted abruptly as he looked at the massive figure beside him: the Lord of Shapeshifters, who had remained silent all this time.

“Hades, say something, you too. As an old-timer who has persisted for ten millennia like me, surely you can understand what I’m saying?”

“……”

The Lord of Shapeshifters, still with their hood lowered, remained silent for a few seconds, then abruptly stood up, pushed their chair aside, and walked out.

“A tiresome farce.”

He cast this remark aside, it was unclear whether he referred to the Lord of Carrion’s actions or Letitia’s declaration.

****

“Sister Noah… where could she have gone…?”

The small figure in a maid’s uniform, Issac, carrying tools to clean the corridor, craned her neck, looking around expectantly, eager to find her Sister Noah.

“That Noah must be under strict surveillance. After all, she’s a Saintess from an enemy nation. No matter how careless the Demon Lord might be, she wouldn’t allow Noah to move about freely.”

The folded owl beneath her skirt glowed with a blue light, functioning as a transceiver, relaying Joshua’s communication to the invisible earpiece clipped to Issac’s ear.

“Although that’s what you say….”

Issac lowered her gaze to the cleaning tools, where a delicate coil was hidden, at first glance resembling a copper ring.

It was something Sister Noah had asked her to make yesterday morning, purportedly a precision instrument capable of traversing space-time and providing location data.

The overall operation was not difficult; Issac had crafted it in the armory using some scraps, and even Joshua, proficient in secret arts, had to exclaim in admiration after her calculations that this method was indeed feasible.