Silverbloom seemed to drift into a dream, finding herself back in the Demon King’s castle.
Clutching a lantern that cast a faint glow, she, clad in a luxurious gown, gazed around the castle corridors, as if searching for something.
Tap, tap, tap—
The sound of her high heels on the floor tiles echoed distinctly in the night. Maids passing by occasionally curtsied to her, their deference profound.
She offered them a slight nod, yet a peculiar urgency grew within her, as if she were slowly losing something vital.
This feeling persisted until she reached the small library within the castle.
Pushing the door open, she saw cool moonlight spilling onto the bookshelves. In the dim, quiet environment, a small shadow seemed to flit past, hiding behind a bookshelf.
This made her frown.
*Snap—*
With a flick of her fingers, the magical chandelier on the library ceiling illuminated. Golden light dispelled the darkness, allowing her to see everything inside.
Following the trail of the shadow she had just seen, she approached that particular row of bookshelves.
Halting her steps, she peered around the corner of the shelf, where she spotted a glimpse of a black skirt that hadn’t been fully concealed.
The urgency in her heart inexplicably transformed into a sense of peace. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, with a slight frown, she walked down the aisle of the bookshelves, turning the corner.
Hiding there was a small girl, cradling a book in her arms.
She possessed beautiful long black hair, just like Demon King Sophia, and her adorable, slightly chubby face now held a hint of surprise, as if she hadn’t expected to be discovered.
The lantern in Dorothy’s hand swayed twice, and a hint of annoyance crossed her face.
“…What time is it? Not only are you not asleep, but you’re hiding here secretly reading?”
“Mommy…”
Upon seeing that it was Dorothy, a trace of joy appeared on the little girl’s face. However, when she noticed the less-than-kind tone in Dorothy’s voice, that joy quickly turned into guilt.
“Hmm?” Dorothy raised an eyebrow, quietly waiting for her excuse.
“I…”
Hesitating for a moment, the little girl simply took Dorothy’s hand and led her out of the library.
“Mommy, come with me!”
“…Slow down, be careful not to fall.”
The little girl’s actions piqued Dorothy’s curiosity, so she didn’t resist. After a gentle reminder, she allowed the girl to lead her away from the library.
In the corridor, besides the sound of her high heels, there was now the light patter of the little girl’s quick footsteps. Maids, seeing them, quickly moved aside, fearing the girl might crash into them without stopping.
After what felt like a long journey, the girl led her to the highest balcony in the castle. From here, half of the Demon King’s city could easily be seen.
The evening breeze rustled the red, gold-trimmed floor-length curtains. The little girl, still clutching her book, gazed out at the Demon King’s city with eager anticipation.
This city was a sleepless one; even now, lights of various colors illuminated the night sky, and the bustling streets remained filled with people.
Undoubtedly, under Sophia’s rule, the Demon King’s city was thriving.
“Why did you bring me here?” Dorothy tucked a strand of her silver hair behind her ear, looking at the city below, a hint of longing in her eyes.
The little girl seemed to sense this. She organized her thoughts and said,
“Mommy, I heard the maids say that you haven’t left the castle in years. Every afternoon, you just sit alone in the garden reading, and you know very little about what happens in the city…”
“So, Mommy must not know that today is the city’s quadrennial Fireworks Festival, right?”
As she spoke, she turned to look at the sky above the city, her eyes shining with even greater anticipation.
‘Fireworks Festival?’
Dorothy looked towards the city with her, intrigued. She truly hadn’t heard of such a custom in the Demon King’s city. In recent years, she had only learned about the outside world through books, and such small festivals were often overlooked by her.
“The fireworks will begin in less than a minute, you know.”
The little girl’s sense of timing was precise; it seemed she had been preparing for this day for a long time.
“Four, three, two…”
As she reached “one,” *whoosh!* A firework, trailing a long golden tail, shot into the sky, then *bang!* it burst open like a flower.
The already bright night sky was adorned by fireworks, their scattering petals resembling starlight, reflected beautifully in Dorothy’s eyes.
One after another, fireworks lit up the night sky. At the same time, they were no longer limited to flower shapes, but began to take on various strange and beautiful forms.
One firework even unfurled into the half-bust of Sophia.
The light of the fireworks flickered on her pale cheeks. The little girl carefully tugged on Dorothy’s finger and asked, “Mommy, are these fireworks pretty?”
“They’re very beautiful.”
Dorothy looked down at her, smiling as she reached out and ruffled her hair.
To her surprise, the little girl held out the book she was carrying.
“Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding…”
*Swish, swish, swish—!
“This book is for you, Mommy!” Her face glowed with pride and anticipation.
Dorothy took the book with both hands, filled with confusion, then listened as the little girl explained in a soft, sweet voice,
“I bought this for you when I left the castle. It’s the travel guide you’ve always wanted! A gift for the Fireworks Festival!”
Upon realizing it was a book she had wanted to read, Dorothy’s heart swelled with deep happiness.
She didn’t say thank you. Instead, she knelt down and hugged the little girl tightly, rubbing her cheek against the girl’s. The little girl giggled and hugged her back.
The city’s fireworks continued to bloom. Dorothy kissed the girl’s forehead, then stood up, the smile on her face gradually fading.
“But no matter what, you didn’t listen obediently and go to bed on time tonight, did you?”
The little girl, who had expected to charm her way out of it, froze. She clasped her fingers together in front of her chest. “W-well… I was…”
“Hurry back to bed. I won’t tell your mother. I’ll let you off just this once tonight.”
‘Mother’ referred to Sophia; the little girl used ‘Mommy’ and ‘Mother’ to distinguish between her two mothers.
“Mommy is the best!”
Upon hearing that Dorothy wasn’t going to punish her, the little girl hugged her again, then happily pattered off into the palace, heading for her bedroom.
Watching her small figure, Dorothy smiled faintly. Afterwards, she hugged the book she held and turned to look at the fireworks in the sky.
The longing in her eyes unconsciously lessened by half. Sometimes she would feel that living forever within the castle walls… didn’t seem like such a terrible thing after all.
****
Gradually, the pain in Silverbloom’s limbs roused her from her slumber.
The moment she awoke, she stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling, momentarily unable to distinguish if what she had just experienced was a dream or a memory.
This experience felt too real. She felt as if she had truly gone to the library to find that little girl, and had truly been led to the balcony to watch the Fireworks Festival.
But if it were real, that little girl would be her daughter. Yet, when had she ever had a daughter besides Celia? And why couldn’t she remember?
After a moment of thought, she could only attribute it to a phantom dream. After all, upon closer recollection, like any normal dream, she could no longer remember the little girl’s face.
Breaking free from her confusion, the pain in her body became increasingly clear, and increasingly unbearable.
It felt as if her body had been dismantled; every part ached, and her limbs remained numb. She could do nothing but move her lips and shift her eyes.
“You’re awake?”
A familiar voice echoed in the room, accompanied by a faint scent, as a red figure appeared before her.
Upon recognizing her face, Silverbloom gasped, “Chiling?”
But then, something clicked, and a sorrowful expression crossed her face.
“I’m sorry…”
Seeing that Silverbloom had just woken up and seemed somewhat disoriented, Chiling let out a soft hmph, crossing her arms. “Apologizing for what? I’m still alive.”
****
Silverbloom paused, then her eyes widened as she looked Chiling up and down. A surge of wild joy welled up in her heart when she realized it was indeed her.
But then, a wave of despair was born alongside the elation.
She remembered Chiling saying that if she found Silverbloom, she would forcibly take her back, whether Silverbloom agreed or not.
Previously, when Chiling recognized Luna as Silverbloom, she hadn’t acted, only because at that time she was determined to fight the demon to the death and had no time to take her back.
Now, the demon was dead, and Chiling had all the time in the world to deal with her…
Her already pale face became even more bloodless. Silverbloom struggled to get up from the bed, but after several attempts, she could only manage to twitch her arms slightly.
‘It’s over.’
Despair engulfed her; she felt like crying without tears.
“If you can’t move, don’t struggle. If I wanted to take you to the Council, do you think you’d still be here?”
This was a patient room in Vidona’s hospital, not an inn in some other city for resting.
Chiling came to Silverbloom’s side, leaning down to look directly at her.
“Do you know? You were really just a hair’s breadth from death before.”
She narrowed her eyes, forcibly suppressing her emotions, and said angrily,
“Do you think you’re still Silverbloom Sword Princess from twenty years ago? Is that demon something you, in your current state, could handle? Your magic has regressed to the seventh rank, yet you fought so desperately. It serves you right that you can’t even get out of bed now!”
Seeing Chiling’s anger, Silverbloom lowered her eyes and turned her head away, meekly explaining, “I thought something had happened to you…”
After knowing Chiling was fine, Silverbloom actually wanted to ask if she had gone to Roland’s banquet afterwards. After all, before leaving Roland’s villa, she had promised to bring Chiling back.
Moreover, she really wanted to see her and Roland’s relationship improve…
However, in her current state, it was better to keep that question to herself and not further provoke Chiling.
Upon hearing Silverbloom’s explanation, Chiling’s anger flared up instantly.
“All you do is worry about others! When do you ever care about yourself? Celia and the others came to see you too, do you know how worried they were about you?”
“They were guarding you before, they even fell asleep standing watch!”
Chiling exhaled heavily twice. Seeing the weak Silverbloom on the bed show a look of guilt, her voice unconsciously softened considerably, even carrying a hint of pleading.
“Please don’t be like this again, okay? We just want to see you safe and sound.”
“I’m sorry…”
Silverbloom apologized but didn’t promise it wouldn’t happen again, which made Chiling sigh helplessly, feeling a headache coming on.
She actually knew that, given Silverbloom’s ignorance of Chiling’s ability to handle that demon, choosing to step forward to save everyone was not wrong.
Chiling was angry that Silverbloom didn’t value her own body.
She never cared what would happen to herself; her heart always remained with those she wished to protect. Even if her own body was severely damaged, she would tightly guard them.
So many years had passed, yet this aspect of her had not changed at all.
Recalling the demonic power during the previous battle, Chiling looked at Silverbloom’s empty hand and asked, “That power, did it come from the demon race?”
Silverbloom’s heart sank. She closed her eyes, and after a long silence, she slowly spoke, “…You already know?”
The demonic tattoo on her hand was a secret she didn’t want Chiling to know.
It was a symbol of the demon race, and a symbol of a hero’s fall. Throughout the entire human world, no one would believe that a demon would protect humans. Even if they did, it would only be to gain trust and secure greater benefits.
Silverbloom Sword Princess might have contributed to humanity, but that was in the past. If her identity as a demon were exposed, she would now be denounced by countless people.
“If I didn’t know, you’d already be on your way to the Council.”
However, the meaning in Chiling’s words made Silverbloom’s dimmed eyes brighten.
The reason Chiling hadn’t taken her to the Council was precisely because her identity as a demon was unsuitable for other heroes to know.
“You don’t doubt me?”
“Why would I doubt you?”
Chiling’s counter-question left her in silence. Then she heard Chiling slowly explain, “If you had truly betrayed us, you wouldn’t have stayed in Vidona for over a decade, would you? After all, that would be meaningless to the demon race.”
“…Thank you.”
Her heart gradually filled with warmth, and she offered her thanks. But Chiling snorted, appearing quite displeased.
“What? Have our feelings grown so distant that you need to thank me? Or do you no longer trust me?”
“Sorry, sorry, I… I’m just a little moved.”
Before seeing Chiling, Silverbloom had actually thought their bond might have weakened over time. Yet, in the end, she realized she was wrong.
Her former teammate had never forgotten her, missing her throughout the two decades she had been gone, which made her feel deeply remorseful and guilty.
“So, what are your plans now?”
Chiling clearly didn’t want to dwell on that topic. She stood up, looked out the hospital room window, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
Seeing Silverbloom again, perhaps they could talk all night like old times. Rebuilding the Silverbloom Squad was likely impossible, but they could still gather and live the lives they wanted. It was probably better if Silverbloom didn’t remain a hero; otherwise, given her nature, Chiling genuinely feared she might get into trouble again.
“To Rune Academy.”
Silverbloom’s answer made Chiling blink in confusion, then she quickly understood why she wanted to go to that academy.
“Is it because of Lilia and the others?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would you do so much for Lilia and the others? You’ve been hiding for over a decade. If you just kept hiding, no one would know about you.”
As she spoke, Chiling was filled with indignation.
Silverbloom’s identity began to be exposed because of Lilia and the others. If not for them, Silverbloom would probably still be living in Vidona as a shop manager, just like before.
But who were Lilia and the others? Why would Silverbloom risk exposing her hidden identity of so many years just to become their instructor? Was Chiling, her former teammate, not even as important as them? This truly made her jealous.
But when she asked this question, the hospital room fell completely silent. After a long while, Silverbloom still didn’t speak.
Dimly sensing that she had touched a painful spot for Silverbloom, Chiling began to speak, intending to change the subject, “If you don’t want to say…”
“Because… she’s my child.”
Silverbloom’s explanation first made Chiling pause briefly, then, upon understanding what she was saying, her mind instantly crashed.
She momentarily doubted if she had misheard, but from Silverbloom’s expression, that seemed impossible.
Lilia was Silverbloom’s child.
Though somewhat unbelievable, this explained why Silverbloom would risk exposing an identity she had hidden for so many years just to be by her side.
At once, she desperately wanted to know who the child’s father was, but upon recalling the scene of the defeated Demon King’s city, she decided not to ask.
“It was during those years in the Demon King’s city…”
“Yes…”
Silverbloom softly hummed in affirmation, appearing somewhat subdued, as if recalling the past. The more calm she appeared, the more pain Chiling felt internally.
Silverbloom had been captured by the Demon King for their sake…
“Does she know you’re her mother?”
“No.”
“Why don’t you tell her?”
“She would hate me. I don’t want to ruin our current relationship.”
Whenever Silverbloom thought of Celia’s affection for her, she couldn’t help but smile.
Whether as Silverbloom or Lena, that girl genuinely regarded her as a kind elder. But if she were to tell her she was her mother…
The hatred of being abandoned from childhood would only destroy their relationship.
“Just silently watching her grow up, that’s good enough,” Chiling murmured, her mind ceaselessly recalling every little moment she had shared with Celia.
Chiling had no right to judge Silverbloom’s decision. She merely watched the woman before her display a happy smile, her heart feeling incredibly uneasy.
Such a gentle and kind Silverbloom shouldn’t have endured such suffering.
“Chiling, can I ask you a favor?”
“Speak.”
“Don’t tell them about me.”
By “them,” Silverbloom meant her old friends.
“They’ll find out sooner or later.”
“I know, but the later, the better…”
Chiling didn’t say much more about this.
Silverbloom Sword Princess appearing in Vidona and resolving the evil deeds was likely already known to the Council. Silverbloom’s old friends would certainly come looking for her.
However, just as Silverbloom thought, Chiling didn’t believe this was a good thing right now, especially after knowing about the demonic tattoo on Silverbloom’s hand.
Not everyone could trust Silverbloom as she did; some would surely move against her.
“Rune Academy, huh?”
Murmuring nostalgically, Chiling looked Silverbloom over and asked, “Your identity as an academy instructor must have expired, right? Do you need me to help you get a new one from the dean?”
“No need, I think…”
Silverbloom’s instinctive refusal made Chiling raise an eyebrow.
“Hmm? What are you saying? Without me, how do you expect to get into Rune Academy?”
Heroes who hadn’t passed the entrance examination temporarily resided outside the academy. It would be simple for Silverbloom to stay with Celia and the others in Hunterton.
However, once they passed the examination and became official students, they would all be stationed inside the academy. Without special missions, they wouldn’t come out for a year or two.
If Silverbloom couldn’t get into the academy, what was the difference from being separated from them? Inside were all sixth and seventh-rank heroes, and the dean had already been promoted to a councilor. With Silverbloom’s current strength, sneaking in would be virtually impossible.
“Unless you reveal your identity as Silverbloom Sword Princess. But if you do that, I don’t even know if you’ll become an academy instructor or be directly arrested and taken to the Council.”
Chiling said calmly, her words effectively blocking all her paths. Without her help, Silverbloom simply couldn’t enter the academy.
“Then… then alright.”
After much thought, Silverbloom agreed, and Chiling, with a smile, stood up, preparing to leave.
“Get some good rest for a few days. As for Celia, I’ll help you keep your Lena identity a secret.”
“Mm, I understand.”
Silverbloom instinctively wanted to thank her, but seemingly remembering their previous exchange, the ‘thank you’ caught in her throat. Chiling, familiar with Silverbloom, naturally saw through her.
“If you really want to thank me, then don’t shoulder everything by yourself.”
Regardless of whether Silverbloom took her words to heart, Chiling walked towards the door. But Silverbloom quickly called out to her.
“Chiling, can you tell me about those demons?”
“…I can, but I’ll say this first: these matters have nothing to do with you. Just stay peacefully by your daughter’s side; there will be heroes to deal with them.”
“Mm.”
Seeing that she wasn’t as eager to rush into danger as before, Chiling exhaled and returned to sit by the bed.
Recalling the information about the demons, she slowly began, “More than ten years ago, an organization that dedicated its soul to demons began to operate in this world under the codename ‘Hel.'”
“They call themselves the ‘Gatekeepers of Hell,’ specializing in seducing fallen humans, constantly resurrecting legendary deceased demons, and attempting to open the gate between the world and hell, allowing the demons from hell to reappear in the world.”
“Their movements are generally very secretive. Most heroes, though aware of their existence, have never seen them.”
At this, she showed a troubled expression.
“However, what gives the Council the biggest headache are the demons they painstakingly resurrected. Even the weakest require heroes of Sage-rank or higher to defeat, and the most powerful… you’ve already encountered.”
“That’s pretty much it. Get some good rest. Other matters have nothing to do with you.” Helping her pull the blanket up slightly, Chiling stood up and walked towards the door again.
“Hel…” Silverbloom softly murmured, committing it to memory.
“Oh, right.” Chiling, who had reached the door, suddenly remembered something. She stopped, and under Silverbloom’s questioning gaze, she turned back and smiled gently, “Welcome back, Silverbloom.”