POISONED by Darkness.
Most of the candidates who returned to the starting point were poisoned by Darkness.
Fortunately, Neoma's "children" and the other royal mages rescued everyone in time before something worse happened.
Abigail Barlowe looked worried, though.
[This might be too much for the Royal Archmage.]
"Everyone, please stand close to each other," Neoma said in a serious voice. "I will purify you all at the same time."
Abigail Barlowe turned to her. "Princess Neoma, we can also purify Darkness. Your Imperial Highness doesn't have to do this alone."
"I know, and I'm not trying to undermine you, Lady Barlowe," Neoma said calmly. "It's just that we're in a hurry. So I'd like it if you focus on creating the portal instead of healing the candidates."
Trevor could open a portal faster.
But as a candidate, he shouldn't be doing that.
[And I know Trevor hates doing others a favor for free, so I wouldn't ask him to open a portal unless it's a life-and-death situation.]
Which wasn't the case.
[The crow bastards already left, and it isn't like I'm urgently needed in the palace.]
"I understand, Princess Neoma," Abigail Barlowe said, bowing to her. "We will resume opening the portal."
Neoma smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
After the Royal Archmage left, Neoma's "children" quickly moved and organized the candidates so they would be standing as close to each other as possible.
The others who weren't injured were separated, too.
[Hmm?]
"Ruto isn't here," Neoma commented. "And the Ancient Devil, too."
She gave her allies a different task earlier.
But Jasper oppa was already here, which meant Ruto and the Ancient Devil should be finished getting rid of the monsters already.
"Are you worried, Princess Neoma?" Lewis asked, frowning. "They'll be fine."
Neoma clicked her tongue. "They're definitely trying to kill each other."
That was the reason she could think of for Ruto and the Ancient Devil to disappear at the same time.
Gosh.
[I hope Ruto wins, though.]
To be honest, Neoma couldn't savor the memories of her first kiss with Ruto.
After all, it was followed by her meltdown.
[I'm pretty sure it was Ruto's kiss that triggered the memories of my first life. If we did more, I wonder what else I would remember… omo, omo!]
Neoma slapped her cheeks.
[What the hell am I thinking?!]
"Princess Neoma, please don't hurt yourself," Lewis said worriedly. "Should I look for those two punks?"
The 'two punks' would be Ruto and the Ancient Devil, of course.
"Nah, Ruto can take care of the Ancient Devil."
Plus, she was too busy to care about the two.
"Princess Neoma, we already gathered the injured candidates," Juri reported when she approached her. "And everyone is anxious about the crows' announcement earlier."
Ah, right.
[I need to address the issue later.]
"Princess Neoma, I've received a message from His Majesty's secretary."
It was Dahlia.
The Black Witch disappeared earlier because Neoma asked her to send a message to the palace.
It seemed like they received a quick response.
"What did my father say, Dahlia?"
"His Majesty ordered Princess Neoma to halt the Selection and return to the palace immediately," Dahlia reported in a serious voice. "His Majesty has summoned the Twelve Golden Families, excluding House Spencer."
Ah, Papa Boss would probably convince the Twelve Golden Families to declare war against Helstor.
There was no way in hell Papa Boss would give up the throne, after all.
[The throne belongs to me and Nero.]
"Okay, we'll return to the palace quickly," Neoma said, cracking her knuckles. "I just need to purify the injured candidates first."
[It's a good opportunity to show them that I can fight Darkness.]
***
"YOU'VE grown weaker," Ruto commented while looking down on the Ancient Devil bleeding on the ground. "Is it because you already passed down half of your power to Trevor?"
The Ancient Blood coughed up blood before smiling weakly. "I should have killed you before I made Trevor the new Devil."
He frowned. "As if you would have killed me easily even if you still had your full strength."
As the God Slayer, of course, he was offended by what the Ancient Devil implied.
However, it was also true that Ruto easily subdued the Ancient Devil because he wasn't as strong as he used to be.
[That means Trevor has become more powerful now.]
"Why did you suddenly attack me?" Ruto confronted the Ancient Devil. "What will you gain for killing me?"
"Do you really not now?"
Ah.
Ruto's face definitely flushed after getting reminded of the hot kiss that he had shared with Neoma recently.
But he didn't expect Neoma's reaction to be lukewarm after their intimate moment.
[Neoma barely looks at me these days.]
It was as if the Imperial Princess wasn't interested in him anymore.
And it hurt… wait, what?
Ruto clutched his chest tight.
[Why does it hurt?]
"You're starting to feel different emotions for Princess Neoma again, aren't you?" the Ancient Devil asked while standing up. "I should really kill you now."
Hmm?
Ruto felt a shift in the air, hence he didn't move from the spot.
The Ancient Devil, who noticed the change in the atmosphere a little too late, didn't have time to stop his attack.
[They're here.]
The Ancient Devil was forced to face Faust and Aspen who suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Faust, the half elf-half fairy, used his vines to suppress the Ancient Devil's movements.
Aspen, the demigod, used a barrier so that the Ancient Devil's dark energy wouldn't even come close to Ruto.
"Captain."
It was Esther.
The Snakewoman, clad in black from the veil to her shoes, greeted Ruto politely before giving a report.
[She looks serious.]
"Please withdraw from the Selection and return to the Eastern Continent," Esther said solemnly. "That was a message from the king and the Sun Goddess."
Ruto knitted his eyebrows. "The Sun Goddess and not the Sun Priestess? Then…" He clenched his hands when he realized what it meant. "The Sun Goddess possessed the Sun Priestess."
And it could only mean one thing.
[The situation is more dangerous than I expected.]
***
[IT HAS BEEN a while since I saw the Twelve Golden Families.]
Of course, excluding Marquis Russell Spencer.
[I'll deal with that bastard later.]
Nikolai was also quite surprised when the Northern Lords, aka the Neutral Faction, finally came out of their hiding.
[They've gone missing before the trial began.]
He knew that the Northern Lords were attacked by the crows and saved by Neoma's allies.
[They must have been traumatized, though.]
The Northern Lords, known to prioritize their safety, disappeared after that.
[But, I guess they knew they couldn't hide anymore when a war is about to break out.]
"You already know why you're summoned here," Nikolai said sternly. "Since we're short of time, I'll get straight to the point: I wish to declare war on Helstor and the crows. I have no intention of giving up the throne."
"I agree with Your Majesty's decision," Rufus, his cousin and confidant, said. "Whether the Imperial Family gives up the throne or not, Helstor and the crows will still terrorize the empire."
"But what are we going to do with the Darkness that would swallow the moon and the sun in thirteen days?" Count Tyler Lucchesi, the de facto leader of the Neutral Faction, asked worriedly. "Can the Imperial Family stop that from happening?"
"The Imperial Family will take care of the Darkness," Nikolai said confidently. "My children will stop the Darkness from swallowing the moon and the sun."
Of course, he wasn't just saying that.
Neoma wouldn't declare war if she wasn't confident she could get rid of Darkness.
On the other hand, Nero had William and the Spirit World wrapped around his fingers. The Queen of the Spirit World would surely help his son get rid of the Darkness.
[Of course, Mona and I will support our children.]
"What we need to discuss right now is how to prepare for the upcoming war," Nikolai said as if it was already decided that they would declare war on Helstor and the crows. Only the Neutral Faction looked hesitant anyway, and their argument was weak. "The empire has enjoyed peace for quite some time. But since a war will break out soon, we need to gather as many troops as we can."
Count Sean Dankworth, who was awake for once, raised his hand. "House Dankworth will voluntarily send our private army to support the royal knights, Your Majesty."
"House Gibson as well, Your Majesty," Marquis Lawford Gibson said. "We will offer all the support that we could give."
"The Black Hawk Knights, my private army, will join the war as well, Your Majesty," Rufus said. "We're willing to be on the frontline as well."
Marquis Vincent Lennox, who looked better than he did before, nodded in agreement. "I as well. I can't forgive the bastards who disturbed my granddaughter's rest," he said, then he paused. "But I don't think our private armies alone will be enough, Your Majesty."
All eyes fell on the Noble and Neutral Faction, of course.
Duke Arman Winchester, the leader of the Noble Faction, cleared his throat before speaking. "How about we conscript the commoners for this upcoming war, Your Majesty?"
What?
Ask the commoners to fight for them?
That was the Noble Faction's plan instead of offering their private armies to the throne?
Nikolai couldn't help but laugh, then his glowing red eyes glared at Duke Arman Winchester. "Have you lost your mind, Duke Winchester?"
***
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