CHAPTER 61………..
“To you?”
Mephisto’s black eyes narrowed, adding sharpness to his handsome features.
“No.”
His low voice carried a warning.
“Do not interfere, Nair.”
“Haa~ But whyyy? Nair can do it really well, you know.”
Twisting her body in protest, Nair pouted, but Mephisto didn’t even glance at her. Instead, his thoughts returned to the letter Roziana had sent.
[Mephisto, what should I do?
I was actually planning to choose my future spouse openly. Well, if you want to be one of the candidates, I won’t stop you. But if you participate, you must follow the rules. That is, if you truly want to be chosen.]
While politely rejecting his proposal, she made her intentions firm.
Not only her spouse but the right to decide the ruler of the Demon Realm rested with her.
Unless he planned to take her by force—which he did not—he had resolved to win her properly. That meant he had to become the victor by the very method she acknowledged as legitimate.
For now, becoming Demon King without Roziana’s cooperation was impossible. The cage had already been destroyed, and even whether he could absorb her power remained uncertain.
“In fact, making my lady the Demon King and myself her chosen mate to rule the Demon Realm together… that may be a far more attractive and realistic path.”
Mephisto truly believed so.
“It would do no good to expose a weakness needlessly, Nair.”
As it was, Edwin was already desperate to find his shortcomings and tear him apart.
“Especially avoid those with strong magical power or dragon blood.”
Just imagining Edwin pouncing the moment he smelled opportunity was enough to wrinkle Mephisto’s brow with irritation.
“Instead, keeping a close watch on their movements will suffice.”
The Holy Pope Gregorian’s true purpose remained unknown, and Asterios had to be monitored constantly.
“Nair, the bugs are enough.”
Understanding his intent, Nair’s cheeks flushed pink.
“Mmm~ I see, my lord. You want the little ones, right?”
Her body trembled with excitement.
She was a succubus—a demon who fed on male desire. And here, there was no shortage of young men of marriageable age.
The “bugs” Mephisto referred to were small creatures, usually used for spying. Invisible to the eye, they could crawl inside a target’s body and transmit everything the host saw and heard.
But in her hands, those bugs gained one more ability—the Lustful Dream.
“He told me not to touch those with special powers, after all! Haa~.”
Probing the dreams of the other candidates was no crime—and it was what Nair did best. And now, she had even been given permission to use the bugs.
“Tonight will be a feast~!”
Smirking, the succubus flicked her tongue.
Normally, nighttime would have been best for dream-hunting, but the first round of the competition began that very evening. It didn’t matter if she lulled some candidates into a brief nap before departure, while her bugs gathered information.
Most participants would surely rest first before embarking, since they had to trek to the top of Secret Fog within a single day and night.
“Of course, the ones with stamina beyond normal—like dragon masters or those with strong magical or divine power—won’t bother resting. Haa~.”
For those, she could simply send stealthier bugs. Instead of inducing drowsiness, the insects would just cling to their bodies unnoticed. Surely no one was cautious enough to sense that.
And even if a few slipped past, there were already over fifty men within her “radar.”
“Even that much will be enough to make me burst with pleasure, haa~!”
Just the thought made her lower belly tingle with heat.
“I’ll pay my lady a visit for a moment.”
“Yes, safe return, my lord~!”
Leaving the rest to her, the neatly dressed Mephisto stepped out.
Alone in the room, Nair snapped her fingers. A small pouch dropped into her palm from thin air.
From it spilled wriggling, larva-like demons, crawling across the floor.
“My darlings~ you know my taste, right? The younger and more lustful the men, the better. Bring me all their thoughts and conversations, and keep them asleep for half a day! Haa~. Kiss!”
Receiving her blown kiss, the larvae squirmed off in different directions, fading to transparency until they vanished.
“Welcome, Master of Graham.”
“May the blessings of the Sun of Dreat be upon you.”
The Emperor of Dreat, Leodian, and the Holy Pope of Graham, Gregorian, sat facing one another.
It was a meeting of the Emperor and the head of the Holy Nation.
Clad in white, the Pope radiated brilliance like sunlight. His silver hair, his eyes, his gentle smile—all of it shone with sacred aura so strongly that even a stranger from afar would instantly recognize him as extraordinary and holy.
“It is Dreat’s honor that you graced us with your presence.”
“There have been many misunderstandings between Dreat and Graham.”
The Pope had brought treasures as gifts: the Holy Grail brimming with sacred water, the Divine Mirror that protected spaces, a holy music box that soothed body and mind, and a mystical sacred flower that would not wither for a hundred years.
“We are deeply grateful both for your past gifts and for this meeting today.”
“It is I who am pleased, if I can be of help. Wherever the holy power of the Lord is needed, I will gladly provide it.”
Days earlier, Leodian had welcomed Gregorian with a grand reception, and now he treated him with the highest courtesy.
The reason was clear: the long history of conflict between Graham and the Empire.
The longer the enmity, the greater the need to show respect in such situations to prevent needless friction. Since the Three Realms War, they had kept their distance. Now, Leodian made a point to personally display goodwill.
It was the only way to ensure that neither the tournament nor diplomacy ended in disaster.
Moreover, the Pope himself was among the suitors for his daughter—making matters even more delicate.
“Thanks to Your Holiness healing with your sacred power, even our knights and elders came without hesitation.”
After his grand welcome, Gregorian had promised to use his holy power to heal the sick and weary of Dreat. In response, Leodian had invited the elders and veterans most in need—those whose bodies had been worn by age or war.
They were men of unshakable discipline, unlikely to be swayed even by displays of divine power.
After all, while Graham proclaimed divine mercy outwardly, their true motives were never fully revealed. Even such healing acts could not be free of calculation.
Thus, Leodian provided every courtesy but withheld true trust.
“From Graham’s perspective, it is obvious my Empire is a thorn in their side, no matter how they pretend otherwise.”
Dreat was the Empire descended from the dragon’s blood that ended the Three Realms War.
And yet, Graham had shamelessly demanded his precious daughter, calling her a “saint” from birth.
How he longed to cast them out immediately—but that would solve nothing.
Roziana had declared she would use this competition to deal with all her would-be suitors in one stroke. For that reason, the tournament had to end smoothly.
And since Gregorian himself had entered, Leodian actually considered it a blessing—his direct participation meant matters could be settled more decisively.
“Once the contest ends, all this troublesome talk of saints will vanish.”
As Leodian pondered, a limping elder with a broken leg and a knight who had lost an arm in war stepped forward.
Behind them, others scarred by battle lined up—those missing eyes or limbs, the elderly whose injuries no healer or mage could mend.
The question lingered: just how far did the Holy Pope’s power reach?
Other than his companion, the Great Sage Daniel, no one present had ever seen Gregorian use his sacred power directly.
Even the greatest high priests required time to heal severe wounds. Old scars and injuries caused by strong magic were considered impossible to erase completely.
Thus, most here expected only partial relief—perhaps the easing of pain in their broken limbs.
But then—
The white saint raised his hand, and a vast, blinding light burst forth.
A miracle.
“H-Heavens!”
“My God!”
Gasps of disbelief filled the hall. Some collapsed in shock.
“This… this is a miracle!”
As the radiance faded, the elder with the broken leg stood straight, his limb whole again. The knight who had lost his arm now had both.
“Impossible!!”
The soldier who had lost an eye wept uncontrollably, both eyes restored.
Even more shocking—it all happened simultaneously.
In a single flash, not one or two, but everyone present was healed at once.
Even Leodian, unable to blink, muttered in disbelief:
“This is… impossible…”
His golden eyes shook violently.
