Chapter 37: Beast and Hero

As a noble family head, being able to make Sha Li Man. Su Da Er come to support without the slightest hesitation, even at the cost of her own reputation, was naturally not simply because of love.

At least, not right now.

Time rewinds a little—before Sha Li Man came over, she had a private conversation with someone.

"Your Highness, why must you go this far?" Facing her superior's request, Sha Li Man was both hesitant and puzzled.

"Dragon Hunt," Dai Ni Ya. D. Ai Li She, heir of the Aetheling Kingdom, a seventeen-year-old princess, yet carried far too heavy a burden on her shoulders.

It was she who issued the order, telling Sha Li Man to give full support to Li En's group.

Now that the engagement might even have to be exposed ahead of time, after some thought, Dai Ni Ya finally decided to reveal a little to her confidante.

"You may think I'm helping them too much. In fact, it isn't us helping them—it's them helping me." Dai Ni Ya's tone was very gentle, not like a superior communicating with a subordinate, but like sisters chatting idly.

In this era, the royal family and the nobility were more allies than superior and subordinate.

If you have authority, if you have prestige, then your word carries weight; otherwise, you're just a useful ornamental vase.

And the Aetheling Kingdom's royal family was among the weakest of those vase-like royal houses.

The kingdom had already declined; too many regions were effectively independent. But that did not mean the Aetheling royals were weak or incompetent—on the contrary, the current royal members, as well as the old and new capital bureaucrats, had quite decent reputations and abilities.

The catastrophe had occurred only sixteen years ago. Back then, the Aetheling Kingdom was still contending for the empire, and survivors among the royal members of that era still existed; the core circle had not truly fallen into utter decay.

And as a princess born as the posthumous child of that catastrophe, Dai Ni Ya's education as the royal heir had never been interrupted. Within the ruins of the old capital, there remained a legacy and accumulated knowledge nearly at imperial level, and her mother could still dictate the ancient secret canons to her.

Dai Ni Ya knew a great deal, but she still hesitated over whether to share with her sisters—not because of distrust.

"Come. There are some things I still need your help with." In the end, she made up her mind.

She took Sha Li Man to a secret cell.

In one of the partitioned rooms there, several water bottles filled with black, turbid liquid were placed—precisely the ones she had previously entrusted Sha Li Man to deliver to Li En.

"This is…" Sha Li Man grew even more puzzled.

Dai Ni Ya did not respond, only said coldly to the guard.

"Make another one."

Thus, very soon, a cursing and swearing criminal was dragged up.

Then, his head was pressed down, and as required, he knelt and recited a prayer.

"Merciful King of the Grey Sea, sovereign of the great horn-pillar that commands the boundary between heaven and sea, benevolent Elserna, please grant me your mercy."

This scene left Sha Li Man greatly puzzled. The nobility of this world generally had some understanding of great beings, and this prayer was off in many ways.

"How can one chant a god's true name directly without using a substitute title? If it's a true god, it wouldn't casually answer such a blasphemous prayer; if it's an evil god, there should at least be an offering as an appetizer."

Sure enough, the prayer stirred no supernatural ripple; it seemed nothing happened at all.

"Look." And the place Dai Ni Ya pointed to—at some unknown moment, a spiral-shaped horn had appeared on the prisoner's head.

From it, a strange black liquid was faintly seeping—the very same liquid stored in the partitioned room.

"How is this possible? How would a deity answer such a reckless prayer, and for no reason casually bestow a reward!"

A scene that completely shattered her own religious common sense left Sha Li Man utterly unable to comprehend.

"Because it is not a god, but a Beast."

Dai Ni Ya walked over silently, examined the spiral horn, and frowned more and more deeply.

It already had seventeen spirals on it—closer to the thirty-three spirals recorded in the accounts; the Grey Great Horned Deer was closer to fully awakening.

After receiving the information from the heroic spirit, Dai Ni Ya had made her decision.

And results similar to the scene before her eyes had repeatedly verified the worst reality.

The Ancient Beast was not only truly about to revive, but the "grace" came so quickly and so completely—which meant it was still quite close to her.

It should be, just as the heroic spirit said, right beneath this city.

Or rather, these underground ruins treated as resource points were specifically meant to seal it.

"Your Highness, what is a Beast?"

And Sha Li Man, completely at a loss, had never heard of such a being, nor how it differed from an evil god.

"It is our ancestor."

Dai Ni Ya's flat tone conveyed the most terrifying truth.

"The Beast is generous and magnanimous; it will not refuse the demands of its own descendants."

The "benevolence" on the ground was proof.

So long as someone asks, it will give.

But Dai Ni Ya's tightly drawn little face made it absolutely clear this was not something good.

"The Beast will not refuse its descendants' demands, but neither will it care what this 'milk (blessing)' given to its offspring brings to fragile mortals. In truth, it cares about nothing at all."

"It has no heart."

"The Beast that has a heart—that is us."

Dai Ni Ya touched the photo-frame pendant on her chest and fell into confusion.

The Beast has awakened once more, but this time, where is the Hero? —

"This time, it's truly a ceiling I'm not familiar with at all."

Looking at the ceiling with its gorgeous crystal chandelier, Li En was even somewhat unaccustomed to it.

This time, he had not woken up at his home in the South Bright District.

"Don't run, Miss Lana, breakfast is coming right away."

Accompanied by the pat-pat of bare feet running past, there were also familiar sounds of chasing.

The place had changed, but the people were still here.

This was a guest room of the Su Da Er mansion. Tapestries and murals depicting heroic tales hung on the walls; the wooden floor felt quite high-class to the touch.

The bed, table, and chairs all bore simple yet exquisite carved decorations; the backrests were wrapped in what seemed to be velvet—soft to the touch, and clearly not cheap.

Li En couldn't decipher the value of these furnishings, but he was deeply shaken, truly feeling as if he had entered a castle from a fairy tale.

Li En was not the only one to arrive at this grand mansion in the Radiant District; after accepting Miss Shaliman's invitation last night, Li En went straight home to fetch Miss Lana and gave the maids and cook the day off.

The reason was equally direct: he seemed to have inadvertently offended the slave market severely and made a name for himself.

Even to avoid trouble born of greed for wealth, it was better to sidestep some risks.

After all, it was better to prevent in advance the possibility of assassins sneaking in at midnight and leaving him as a headless victim of an unjust case.

"Tsk, I was too impulsive." Li En had originally gone to "reason" yesterday, but from start to finish, it seemed neither side cared much about each other's reasoning.

Perhaps, in this world, "fists" were the only reasoning.

"Truly exaggerated."

Looking out the window, the estate centered on a fountain came into view; Li En even saw a small lake fed by trickling streams.

This mansion, like something from an animation, was the Sudar ancestral home, the face of this ancient viscount family.

"But, it seems there aren't many servants."

When Li En came here in the middle of the night, he hadn't seen many servants either; the grand mansion appeared empty and desolate.

Now, walking out on the corridor, it was the same.

There seemed to be voices in the distance, but after walking for ages, he still hadn't seen anyone.

Li En wasn't a young master who needed servants waiting on him; carrying his sword, he had already reached this hour, and without morning exercise, he felt something was missing.

On the stairs hung portraits and sculptures one by one; when he came yesterday in a rush, he hadn't paid attention.

Now, with sunlight illuminating the interior, Li En looked over; the skill level of these oil paintings seemed quite good, seemingly works by famous painters.

It was clear that many of these portraits were likely Sudar family members.

Serpents and Lizards were the most numerous; these two bloodlines were dominant in this family, with dominant genes appearing more frequently.

But at the entrance to the first-floor hall, in the most conspicuous spot, two portraits left Li En somewhat puzzled.

They should have been a young couple: a young Lioness with golden hair and blue eyes, wearing fine robes and a long skirt, holding flowers in both hands, her pupils gentle as water, facing smiles and joy, appearing very virtuous.

She, at first glance, seized Li En's attention.

She made Li En feel somewhat familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere.

"Although she is of the same race, it shouldn't be Heroine Laina; the hair color is different, and the temperament and appearance are completely different, but she really feels quite familiar."

Before Li En could recall who it was, the portrait next to it was even more peculiar.

It was a young man in military uniform, holding a sword with both hands facing forward; a silver mask on his cheeks covered most of his face, revealing only a chin that was completely indistinguishable.

And the root of why he attracted Li En's attention more than the beauty was the sword in his hand.

"The Sword of the Hero..." This sword, if nothing unexpected had occurred, was now held in Li En's hand.

"This sword is the prototype of the replica in your hand, the true Sword of Courage. It is said to grant its holder near-infinite courage and strength, creating a sun-like beacon of light amidst the Black Tide. Alas, with the disappearance of the Second Hero, the Kingdom's genuine artifact also vanished."

Miss Shaliman's voice came from above; she was still holding little Miss Lana.

The girl waved happily at Li En; she was now dressed like a cute little princess.

At this moment, Li En's expression was quite subtle: you are holding the Second Hero, yet speaking of the regret of the Second Hero's disappearance?

"What's wrong?" Noticing Li En's gaze, Miss Shaliman was somewhat puzzled; surely her outfit today was fine.

"Uh, nothing. I'm just a bit curious; this warrior on the wall is Lord Lex, the First Hero, right? Why does he wear a mask? It doesn't seem to be mentioned in the legends."

Li En casually changed the subject, but the response he received was quite subtle.

"He is not wearing a mask."

Among the circle of old nobles, this was no secret either; after pondering for a moment, Miss Shaliman spoke.

"This isn't actually a big secret; it was the disaster sixteen years ago. The royal family was cursed by the Great Red Dragon, and the Hero suffered as a result. It is said the curse he endured was especially terrifying; his face was directly erased from all records, and this erasure even included memories of recognizing others."

Was that so outrageous? Direct erasure of existence? No, only the face was erased; the name and memories remained? What meaning did that have? Was it just to completely erase that face?

For some reason, Li En felt something was off, but it seemed not something his identity could pursue.

"Ahem, then this one must be Her Majesty the Queen?"

Even Li En knew that the current ruler of the Kingdom was a Queen; the former King had also died in the disaster sixteen years ago.

"Yes, Queen Mariana, the Princess of that time. It is said she was not yet the Ice Queen of today; she was very gentle."

The Queen, who was once a Princess, looked very young and beautiful.

Miss Shaliman sighed somewhat, some words on the tip of her tongue but held back.

She glanced at the sword in Li En's hand and spoke anyway.

"Let's have breakfast first, then go for morning exercise."

Li En naturally would not refuse; he was still somewhat curious about what nobles of this era actually ate.

But the result was quite subtle and completely different from his expected grand feast; it was no different from the meals of the past two days: a creamy soup, garlic bread slices, a fried egg, and two slices of char siu.

And the reality that the vast dining hall had only one maid confirmed to Li En that this estate truly had few servants.

"Doesn't it suit your taste?"

"No, it's delicious. It's just... did you make it?"

"Yes, cooking is my hobby; if I have time, I always make it myself." The woman smiled very confidently.

At this moment, Miss Shaliman, who was the epitome of a noble lady, behaved in a way that was not at all noble.

Both had things on their minds; actually, there were no topics for conversation. After perfunctory small talk, they naturally ate in silence.

After finishing, Li En went straight down to work, while Miss Shaliman entrusted Miss Lana to the maid and went straight upstairs.

In the mansion, there was still a distinguished guest she had to receive personally.

"Hah!"

Several dozen minutes later, Li En put down his sword, wiped his sweat, and felt somewhat uncomfortable.

The overly large courtyard made him somewhat unaccustomed... He missed his own small courtyard a bit; at least he wouldn't always feel like he was being overly sensitive, constantly feeling as if someone was watching him.

"Hmph, his heir is just so-so. Pathetically weak, far worse than him."

But this was not paranoia — not only had someone peered through the window watching him, they also looked down on him, Li En, saying he was unworthy of Sul's illustrious name.

Dai Niya, in a high-floor room of the same building, happened to see the person practicing martial arts below with perfect clarity.

She even evaluated with great interest how terrible that sword strike was, and how far it fell short compared to some man — though in truth she understood nothing about it. Right now she also did not know why she had been chosen by the holy knight's heroic spirit, when she could not even be counted as a combat-type.

And if Li En saw her at this moment, he would know where the sense of familiarity in that portrait came from — she and Queen Marianna shared an overly obvious physical resemblance.

Princess thought for a moment before continuing.

"Miss Shaliman, continue carrying out the mission I gave you — keep him alive. We need someone like him."

"Not only for the calamity before our eyes, but also for our kingdom."

After some deliberation, she issued another secret order.

"Some noble must have leaked information about the 'Beast,' which led to the Severed Tail Case. Find them, no matter who they are, kill them. Eliminate every uncontrollable person who knows."

At this moment, standing before the former royal spy Sha Li Man was not that cheerful little dragon-hunting girl, but a cold and pragmatic young sovereign.

"If necessary, even using lives to prevent the spread of the Beast's name would be worth it."

Meanwhile, within the mechanisms of the Heroic Spirit Codex that Li En could not perceive, something had already been triggered.

【Heroic Spirit Codex V2 has detected a heroic-spirit holy relic, and has detected a powerful heroic-spirit lingering wish. The next heroic spirit has been locked; the random draw will be changed to a designated acquisition.】

【Heroic Spirit Lock-on Target: 'Continental Hero' Rex Sohn】

【Please forget me! — Rex Sohn.】

(End of this chapter)