Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Chapter 175: The Royal Academy of Silvara - Return

'I have grown fond of this city...'

Asura thought to himself as their Stage Four monster mounts prepared to depart from Bhalgrim City. He was in awe of the beautiful black walls, which gave each person a sense of comfort and protection as their serpentine guardians watched over their lands.

The Duchess and her private forces stood atop the walls, watching Verana and him depart.

"I will forgive you for sleeping with my mother this time, however." Verana's hand squeezed Asura's wrist, and her lips curled into a pout with furrowed brows before muttering. "Next time, you cannot hide or run away in secret!"

Her eyes shimmered like blood jewels as she gazed back. Asura didn't feel intimidated by Verana. Instead, he felt her look exceptionally cute today, with her fair skin shining with a faint touch of makeup and curls of black eyeliner at the corner of her narrow eyes.

"You look really beautiful today. Did you change your makeup?"

Asura's hand brushed her long, silken black hair behind her pointed ear, feeling the gentle movements of the carriage. Her black and silver dress carried a touch of Silverian royalty with silken designs on her chest in the shape of her family crest.

Two serpents entwined with red eyes.

Verana's pout faded away as her cheeks flushed with his unexpected compliment. He noticed that despite remembering the past Verana, who was strong on offence when flirting. However, concerning defence, she became a fair maiden with a defence value of zero.

"I..." She couldn't bring herself to tease Asura today, burying her face in his neck with a soft smile. "Idiot, don't tease me. I'll bite you!"

Her sweet and pleasant scent radiated against him as she gazed at her back at Bhalgrim City, which became a small dot on the horizon. The military could not accompany them beyond the Western mountain ranges and into the Lost Lands because the threat levels were too dangerous.

A single Stage Five monster or above could destroy an entire force if it secretly attacked. Yet the western route arrived at Silvara within a day. Thus, Asura and Verana chose this route; with the high-speed transport and high-ranking monsters guiding them, there would be no issues.

Not to mention, Asura's body emitted the pheromones and scents of a high-level dragon and phoenix that he hadn't realised. Helliana was the same. She slept on his shoulder quietly, sometimes spitting small flames at Verana, who came too close to her.

****

"Are these the lost lands?" Asura asked, his eyes widening at the sudden change in geography. The beautiful green mountains became dark, musky, and filled with rot. He felt like they had somehow arrived in a bog; the trees appeared to be melting, and the ground was murky green and black, sometimes bubbling with a strange fluid oozing from the depths.

Verana shivered in his embrace, feeling uncomfortable as she looked around with concern. "Indeed... This is the reason we do not expand to the West. The Abyssal Monarch caused this scar when he lost control thousands of years ago. Nobody knows why, but their mother claims something almost happened to his beloved, and this is where he died...

Which caused the land to rot and waste away eternally, his curse-filled with despair and anguish."

'I know... I remember, but back then, it still resembled a forest and mountain.'

Asura's head turned towards where they departed, his heart feeling for Valerie, who must have hidden the truth that her previous domain existed in the south. He felt a tinge of guilt that she moved to the north because of his death as Auros.

****

"Welcome home, Lord Asura." One of the man maids greeted him. Her uniform bore the royal family emblem and showed she was Vela's maid.

"It's nice to be home."

Asura waved to the maid with a smile, unaware of how charming he had become after his rebirth. Like a flash of sunlight piercing the void, he had hastened the young maid's heart.

Then, placing his hand on Verana's lower back with a sly smile, he said, "This is Lady Verana Drakkur. She'll be living together from now on, so please do me a favour and confirm she has everything she needs."

The maid didn't feel offended because she knew Verana's arrival well before today. Valerie and the queen were close, more than most people understood.

Because the royal family held the Drakkur family in high regard, when she arrived, the maid felt it was normal to treat Verana like a princess, not to mention Asura was her future master.

"Yes, Lord Asura!"

"Thank you, Celia."

Asura called the maid's name, causing her to blush before suddenly leaving the room, almost stumbling on a golden table with fruit in a spherical bowl.

"Asura... you, when did you become able to charm any woman's panties off with a few words? Shall we go to the bedroom and get rid of your lust?" Verana's lips curled, and she hugged Asura's arm before whispering seductively in his ear.

"Now, why would I be lustful towards a demon like you?"

Asura played with her long hair, pulling it backwards until she stood on her toes with her lips pursed for a kiss...

But the door suddenly opened and a beautiful woman with silvery pink hair and soft, shimmering scales of pink and white specks across her cheeks and neck entered her arms and cheeks full of slight bruising and cuts.

"Asura?" Xavida's voice seemed nostalgic the moment he heard it, a little more adult and deeper than before... her breasts had grown, while her height was even taller, with a hint of maturity in her cheeks. "You look amazing... *Sniff* *sniff* Your scent feels clean now."

It felt ironic that this dragoness could smell his changes before anyone else did.

Asura felt a sudden sense of peace.

His spare hand pulled Xavida into his embrace, and Verana and Xavida looked at each other, sizing each other up with a bitter look, narrow eyes, noses lifted, and lips pursed.

"Xavida, this is my other fiancée, Verana Drakkur. Verana, this is my lovely dragon fiancée, Xavida Bahamot."