Chapter 864 ASSEMBLE!
MELVIN went to check on Prince Nero and Miss Dahlia.
After Empress Mona left with Trevor Kesser, the Crown Prince's Order of the Knights hadn't left their master's room.
Only Melvin had to come in and out of the chamber because of his job.
[Since the Crown Prince is out of commission, I have to do his administrative tasks to keep the palace afloat.]
Moreover, he also had to take care of Miss Dahlia's well-being.
"Miss Dahlia, you may come out and take a stroll in the garden," Melvin said, worried that Miss Dahlia might be feeling stuffy already for getting stuck in Prince Nero's room. "I'll stay with Prince Nero in the meantime…"
Melvin trailed off when he noticed that Miss Dahlia was pale and she was sweating profusely even though the room was cold.
Prince Nero had ice powers, so the space around him would always be naturally cold.
"Miss Dahlia, are you alright?"
"No," Miss Dahlia answered while hugging herself. "I feel like I'm being burned alive…"
And then Miss Dahlia suddenly collapsed, unconscious.
Melvin's eyes widened in shock. "Miss Dahlia!"
He wasn't as fast as he would like to be because he wasn't a fighter.
Fortunately, Raku was quick to his feet. The half human-half dragon caught Miss Dahlia before she hit the floor.
[Thank goodness… what?]
Melvin was shocked when Raku suddenly dropped Miss Dahlia on the floor.
"Sorry!" Raku said, obviously panicking. Then he showed his BURNED arms that were still emitting smoke. "Miss Dahlia is burning hot…"
Hmm?
Raku had the body of a dragon, so it was shocking to see him get burned by mere body heat.
[Then… it must not be a mere body heat that caused Miss Dahlia to burn up.]
"Melvin, come here and take a look," Sanford, kneeling beside the Crown Prince's bed, said in an urgent voice. "Prince Nero is sweating profusely and when I tried to wipe his forehead, the handkerchief was burned to ashes. I almost died!"
Sanford wasn't being overdramatic this time.
[Miss Dahlia and Prince Nero are definitely engulfed in some strange flame…]
The room was starting to get really hot, too.
[We must get out of here, but we can't leave Prince Nero and Miss Dahlia.]
Melvin was racking his brain to come out with a plan to protect the Crown Prince and the Black Witch without dying when, suddenly, a burst of cold breeze filled the room.
<"Leave the room.">
Oh.
It was Prince Nero's beautiful ice phoenix.
The Soul Beast reduced its size to fit in the room. Even so, the ice phoenix remained as beautiful and as elegant as ever.
"We can't leave Prince Nero and Miss Dahlia here," Melvin insisted. "That would be treason."
<"Your loyalty will only kill you, foolish child.">
"I'm sorry for being loyal then?"
<"None of you here could handle the Eternal Flame's heat.">
Melvin let out an audible gasp. "The Eternal Flame?"
<"Nero and the Black Witch will be fine. The only way to help them in this situation is to keep yourself and everyone else safe.">
Right.
There were servants working in the palace that might get hurt.
"Lord Zeru, do you swear on your name as the Crown Prince's Soul Beast that you'll protect Prince Nero and Miss Dahlia?"
<"I swear. As Nero's Soul Beast, it's my duty to protect him with my life.">
That was all Melvin needed to hear.
"Then I'll leave Prince Nero and Miss Dahlia in your capable hands, Lord Zeru," Melvin said, then he turned to his fellow knights. "Let's get out of here and evacuate everyone to a safe place."
***
"DUKE HAWTHORNE!"
Rufus was surprised when Duke Jasper Hawthorne suddenly collapsed. He tried to catch the young duke, but he was surprised when he almost got burned. Hence, he failed and had to watch Duke Hawthorne hit the ground.
As a father and a fellow duke, he immediately moved to check on Duke Hawthorne.
However…
<"Don't touch him!">
It was Duckie, Duke Hawthorne's Elemental Guardian who was in his winged serpent form earlier. But now, the Elemental Guardian had returned to its other form.
The form of a duck.
"Duke Hawthorne is burning up," Rufus said worriedly. "Is he alright?"
<"That child is fine, but you and the others wouldn't be fine if you don't leave the parameter soon. You have to get out of here, Duke.">
"May I know why?"
<"It's the Eternal Flame,"> Duckie said proudly. <"It seems like that child is taking the Eternal Flame's trial. Hah! I expect no less from my new master.">
Rufus was confused, but it seemed like a good thing.
[But I hope the Eternal Flame isn't hurting Duke Hawthorne since the young duke is still a child…]
Well, Duke Jasper Hawthorne was already in his early twenties.
But in Rufus' eyes, the young duke was still a child– just like Hanna and Princess Neoma.
[I hope powerful beings like the Eternal Flame would just stop making children fight their battles.]
***
MONA didn't attempt to catch Trevor who suddenly collapsed while they were resting in the garden they were ushered to while waiting for the Cosmic Tree.
It wasn't like she didn't care about Trevor.
She just knew that the demon boy's life wasn't in danger and she would get burned if she touched him now.
"It's the Eternal Flame," Mona whispered to herself. Then she frowned. "Why did the Eternal Flame suddenly appear?"
"The World must have awakened the Eternal Flame from its slumber."
Ah.
It was Irina, the Cosmic Tree, in her human form.
A little later, Mona just found herself having tea with the Cosmic Tree.
"It's been a while, Mother," Mona greeted the Cosmic Tree politely. "I apologize for coming back here unannounced."
"You know you're always welcome here, dear," the Cosmic Tree said, smiling at her kindly. "I'm curious why you suddenly returned, though. After all, I know you wouldn't leave your daughter at this critical moment."
It wasn't a secret that Neoma was "gone."
Hence, she wasn't surprised that the Cosmic Tree had already heard about the tragic news.
"We're trying to revive my daughter," Mona said carefully. "Trevor actually brought me here because he said I might fall into a comatose state after he extracts blood from me. I'm hoping to gain your protection when I reached that state, Mother."
"I see," the Cosmic Tree said, nodding. "Of course, you'll be safe as long as you're here, daughter." Then the Cosmic Tree turned to Trevor who was still on the ground. "But I wonder if the child would survive and be able to return here to extract your blood?"
It was shocking that the Eternal Flame had appeared suddenly.
But she knew that the phenomenon could only be linked to one person.
"I have a feeling that it was Neoma who brought back the Eternal Flame to this world," Mona said confidently. "If the Eternal Flame's sudden appearance is related to my daughter, then I'm sure that Trevor would return. That boy's motivation to live is Neoma, after all."
"Is that so?" Irina asked, then she sighed as if she felt bad for the demon boy. "It's a shame that someone as passionate as that young demon wasn't the father of Neoma's child. I feel like he'd do a better job than the passive Divine Lord."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not saying that the Divine Lord isn't good enough for Neoma. But I'm just not a fan of careful men like him."
"That's not it, Mother," Mona said, clenching her hands tight as her pale blue eyes glowered. "You said something about the father of my daughter's "child." My Baby Pumpkin is still a baby. Hence, I don't understand what you're saying, Mother."
She was aware that it was hinted that Neoma and the Commander Yoan of the first timeline MAY have had a child together.
It was fine with her since the Neoma of the first timeline was old enough back then.
[Not that I have the right to speak about it since I had Neoma and Nero when I was very young. But I still can't wrap my head around the idea that my baby is having a baby.]
"Calm down, Mona," Irina said, laughing softly. "Neoma isn't pregnant. Not yet, at least."
Mona frowned, not liking the direction of the conversation. "Then what do you mean by what you said earlier, Mother? You're making me nervous."
"The gods in the Upper World are currently making a fuss about the Sapling that suddenly appeared in the Garden."
There was only one 'Garden' in the world despite its bland name.
"Are you talking about the Goddess of Life's Garden where all life forms are born, Mother?" Mona asked. She was getting more and more anxious now. "A Sapling is a child created by a god on their own, isn't it? Hence, I wonder why it's in the Garden."
"Was," the Cosmic Tree corrected her. "It appeared in the Garden, but it suddenly disappeared. However, the traces didn't completely vanish. Hence, the gods who sneaked into the Garden to investigate had the chance to figure out whom the Sapling belonged to."
"Don't tell me…"
"Yes, my daughter," Irina said, smiling at her as if she was sympathizing with her. "The Sapling's Mana and divine power are a mix of Neoma's and the Divine Lord's."
Mona closed her eyes tight. "Ruto, what have you done this time?"
***
[TSK.]
Lisica was worried when Hanna Quinzel and Lewis suddenly collapsed while burning up.
But she didn't have time to worry about the two because of the enemies that were trying to enter the mansion.
Those weren't demons.
It was a group of strong reincarnated corpses that was being led by a FEMALE Silver Fox.
[I think that child is also a "crow."]
"I thought Lewis Crevan was the last Silver Fox in the world," Lisica said, growling while glaring at the female fox. There was something unnatural about the young lady. Just looking at the "fox" was making her skin crawl. "Where did that wench come from?"
"My queen, we shouldn't be worried about that child," Rustin said nervously. "Am I the only one who feels the negative energy of the Ancient Devil here?"
Ah, yes.
They were in Trevor Kesser's territory. Hence, it should be impossible for the crows to find this place easily. But those bastards did.
Hence, they must have received some help.
"But I thought the Ancient Devil was on Princess Neoma's side?" Lisica wondered. "What's happening?"
"Betrayal is normal during a war, my queen," Rustin reminded her bitterly. "That was how we perished, didn't we?"
"Ahem."
It was the female Silver Fox, interrupting Lisica and Rustin's conversation.
"I don't care if Princess Neoma or Hanna Quinzel is there," the female Silver Fox said. "Hand over Lewis Crevan to me, old foxes. He's the only one I need!"
***
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