Chapter 68

Chapter 68

The little one’s pink, round eyes welled up. Though the crystal ball had kept the longing at bay, now all his emotions surged forth, his tiny tail even popping out as he murmured clingily, "Not at all! I’ve always been thinking of Auntie Tilise!"

Tilise couldn’t resist teasing the little one, "Really?"

"Really!" The little one nodded vigorously. Tilise planted a kiss on his chubby cheek, then shot Felatumo a look that clearly said, *See? The little one still clings to me the most. The moment he’s back, he’s stuck to me.*

Not to be outdone, Felatumo squeezed in, deliberately putting on a wounded expression, "So our little one only misses Auntie Tilise and not Uncle Felatumo, huh?"

"I miss you too!" Luo Ci couldn’t bear to see Uncle Felatumo sad, quickly reaching out with his chubby little hands to paw at him, earnestly assuring, "I miss you both!"

"Good, good..." Violet gently patted the little one’s head. "Weren’t you supposed to be on a mission recently? What brought you back to the castle so suddenly?"

Luo Ci looked up innocently, "We need Uncle Ya Pan’s help with something."

"Oh? What is it?" Violet asked kindly.

The little one blurted out everything that had happened on their journey—from the Duchy of Horton to Jotunheim Bay, then to Kamusokis. They had picnicked with grave birds in the monastery cemetery and even ventured into Kamusokis’ Dark Forest. It was only then that Luo Ci suddenly remembered, tugging at Violet’s sleeve, "Uncle Violet, my Chimera is still at Hakodate!"

"Alright, Uncle will take care of it. I’ll have the blood servant bring it in and allow it to roam the castle." Violet gave a glance to the blood servant behind him, who bowed and melted into the shadows before transforming into a small bat and vanishing into the dark night sky.

Jia Xide and Kevin hadn’t expected to encounter a Vampire Elder the moment they stepped inside—someone even King Saxon would never meet in his lifetime. The two followed quietly, their hearts pounding wildly.

Jia Xide was especially terrified. Even though he knew the blood-drinking demons were a conspiracy by the Holy See, years of ingrained fear toward vampires were hard to shake. Yet seeing the Vampire Elders acting like doting elders around the little one, the warm and harmonious atmosphere slowly eased his tension.

When the topic turned to the Dragon Association, Luo Ci huffed and declared them "very bad," his chubby arms tightening around the little black fur ball in his embrace before lifting it up and planting a smooch. "They did bad things and even tried to scare us with dragons! Good thing we had Da Fa!"

The little black fur ball, currently dozing with its eyes closed, let out a soft rumble as the little one’s hands kneaded it, clearly accustomed to and indulgent of the affection.

Watching this, Violet felt slightly reassured.

Speaking of the Pope naturally led to the curse he had cast. Luo Ci briefly explained its origins, and Kevin took the opportunity to hand the replicated papal notes to the blood servant. Luo Ci tilted his head in confusion, "How could King Saxon do such a thing? Kevin is his child too! How could he bear it?"

Felatumo scooped the little one into his arms, kissing his plump little hand. "Not all acts of raising a child can be called familial love."

Saxon had adopted Kevin more as a tool, and that status had never changed in his mind—making him disposable at any moment.

Hearing that King Saxon had ordered soldiers to attack the little one, Felatumo’s smile remained, but his eyes turned frostily terrifying. "And what happened to Saxon afterward?"

Luo Ci swung his stubby legs, "Brother Hobbs came and said he’d handle it."

"Good." Felatumo nodded slightly. Hobbs was his own protégé, so he trusted his methods.

A mere human emperor could easily meet an untimely end, and a successor plucked from the royal family. Whether Saxon was exiled to some frozen backwater or slowly tortured—both were fine options. After all, the little one had worked so hard to lift the curse for his heir. Instead of gratitude, Saxon dared to raise a hand against him? Felatumo would be the first to object.

Just as Felatumo was pondering this, the little one’s little squeaky voice drew his attention again, "Oh! And also—I grew wings!"

"Our little one has wings now?!"

Luo Ci proudly showed off his newly sprouted little bat wings—still only half the size of his palm, but a soft pink, thin and delicate, glowing with a faint rosy halo. Utterly adorable. The Elders showered him with praise, making the little one’s tail waggle with pride.

Eyes shining with hope, Luo Ci asked, "Uncle Ya Pan, will my wings grow bigger later?"

"Of course," Ya Pan answered without hesitation.

Luo Ci beamed even brighter, imagining his tiny wings one day becoming as grand and majestic as those in the portraits. Then he could finally fly freely, just like the little soot sprites he’d always envied!

After talking so much, Luo Ci began getting drowsy. Seeing this, Violet had Tilise carry the little one to his bedroom.

A little ball of white fluff curled around a black fur ball, sleeping soundly. Tilise’s reflection in the mirror softened with tenderness as she tapped the glass lightly. A bare-bottomed dream sprite, wielding a tiny wand, emerged from the mirror, fluttering around the little one. Its delicate wings scattered shimmering dust—stardust-like powder, a blessing for sweet, warm, and lovely dreams.

In the garden, Jia Xide and Kevin debated whether to stay in the castle or find an inn in the nearby town.

Just then, Jia Xide noticed the rose petals in the garden seemed to… twitch. Rubbing his eyes, he realized it wasn’t an illusion.

One by one, the petals drifted down, transforming into tiny imps that pointed ahead, beckoning, "Follow us."

Understanding they were being guided, the two hurried after them.

The imps capered cheerfully ahead, keeping a cautious distance. But soon, Jia Xide and Kevin had to stick close—the castle was so vast and maze-like that losing sight of the imps would mean getting hopelessly lost.

Not a speck of dust or mildew could be found in the enormous castle. Dust-eating sprites diligently swept the hallways.

As they walked, Kevin suddenly noticed a white silken thread dangling from above. Looking up, he froze—a massive phantom spider loomed silently on the ceiling, wearing a tiny white hat and a scarf, its needle-fine legs polishing the windows with eerie precision.

…

Back in the castle, Luo Ci’s days were both leisurely and busy. Leisurely because he no longer had missions to worry about, and busy because he was occupied with delivering gifts to his uncles and aunts.

After lunch one day, Luo Ci sat on a small rug, ticking off on his fingers, "Only Uncle Ya Pan’s gift is left… and I can check how his potion is coming along too!"

Clutching the little black fur ball in one arm and the gift box in the other, the little one pattered to the treehouse and knocked.

The door opened, and his little face peeked out from behind the gift, "Uncle Ya Pan, I brought you a present!"

"Come in, come in!" Ya Pan ushered him inside, hooking the door shut with his cane. The raven on his shoulder fluttered over, taking the gift box while Ya Pan poured him a cup of tea kept warm on the stove. "Our little one has grown up so much, even bringing gifts for his uncle now."

Luo Ci plopped onto the sofa with the fur ball, urging, "Open it, Uncle!"

Ya Pan waved his hand, and the ribbon unwound itself and floated up, the lid lifting to reveal a trove of precious magical ingredients stuffed to the brim. Luo Ci swung his legs, pointing and explaining, "This is a phoenix feather, this vial has Dark Elves’ tears, and this is cursed holy water..."

The little one certainly knew just what to give—each item was something Ya Pan could use. It showed just how much he cherished these old relics in his heart.

Beneath his hood, Ya Pan smiled. The longer one lived, the harder it was to stir emotional stirrings. Yet this little one never failed to warm his heart.

Gently ruffling the child’s soft hair, Ya Pan teased, "I thought our little one came to check up on my work."

Luo Ci giggled, "Mostly to give the gift… but also to check up on you a little!"

Ya Pan gestured to the simmering cauldron. "The potion’s almost done. Once this batch is finished, it’ll be combined with another, and then it’s complete."

Luo Ci, who was clueless about potion-making, had assumed it was just tossing ingredients into a pot. Hearing about combining potions, his little mouth formed an 'o', "So complicated…"

Hopping off the sofa, he toddled over to the fire, noticing the flames were an unusual pure white.

Ya Pan explained, "Since Saxon’s heir was cursed with Dark Magic, the antidote must be a light-aligned potion—requiring sacred flames."

Luo Ci’s eyes widened in understanding. Then he pointed at the fuel below, "Is that firewood? It looks… different."

"Fox tails. High-level fox spirits’ tails have incendiary resistance, allowing the flames to burn fully."

Luo Ci’s eyes went perfectly round.

He’d never realized potion-making had so many intricacies.

The little one’s rose-colored pupils were wide with fascination, his two white tufts swaying as his milky little face scrunched in concentration. Ya Pan couldn’t resist patting his head again. "The phoenix feather you brought today is even rarer than fox tails. A phoenix’s essence greatly increases the chance of brewing a divine-tier elixir. Thank you, little one."

Luo Ci hugged Ya Pan, and on a whim, developed some interest in brewing potions. Before leaving, he asked Uncle Ya Pan for a beginner's book on potion-making.

He happened to have a magic cauldron on hand, and as for the fire, Luo Ci had Ash conjure a flame sigil as a substitute.

He picked a relatively simple invigorating potion, and luckily, all the ingredients were readily available. Following the instructions in the beginner's book, he tossed in a handful of fuzzy pods, blessed potion water, and a moonlit pinecone into the cauldron.

Since all the pinecones looked too similar, Luo Ci stared at them for a long time, unsure if the one in his hand was really a moonlit pinecone... He let the little black fur ball sniff it, but the little black fur ball also gave him a puzzled look. After all, to Fariel, all pinecones looked the same.

Luo Ci simply picked the one he thought looked most like it and tossed it into the cauldron.

Then came the long waiting period... Luo Ci had acted on impulse and grew restless within hours. Coincidentally, Jia Xide and Kevin came to visit, so he brought the little black fur ball along for afternoon tea.

"Did you two go to the auction last night?" Luo Ci asked curiously. He knew there had been a grand auction in the neighboring town the night before, mainly featuring magical plants. Jia Xide had been eager to go, but since Luo Ci had gone to bed early, Jia Xide went with Kevin instead.

Jia Xide took a sip of strong tea to wake himself up before pushing up his glasses and replying listlessly, "Yes, there were so many magical plants I'd only ever read about but never seen in person..."

Midway through his sentence, he noticed the black wolf sitting across from him, sitting with even more grace than him. The wolf ate the food Luo Ci handed over with refined slowness, making Jia Xide look like a refugee in comparison...

Luo Ci also noticed the dark circles under his eyes and asked in confusion, "Did you not sleep at all after coming back last night? Were you busy organizing materials the whole time?"

"Hmph," Kevin snorted coldly. "He took a fancy to a magical plant locked in a cage at the auction. That little thing acted all cute, innocent, and pitiful in the cage, but once Jia Xide won the bid, it turned out to be ferocious..."

"That little thing kept raising hell. I barely slept at all," Jia Xide sighed.

It was hard to imagine a magical plant being so bizarre—emitting piercing, scream-like noises nonstop, leaving him dizzy and unable to sleep, the sound echoing in his mind the moment he closed his eyes.

Luo Ci looked at him sympathetically.

Jia Xide had only come out to get some peace. Half an hour after the clock on the wall ticked away, he stood up to leave.

After all, there was still a magical plant waiting for his care.

Kevin followed him out as well.

Luo Ci cocked his head, feeding the black wolf licorice sticks while thinking that Kevin was still the same—all bark and no bite. Despite constantly complaining about Jia Xide, he still followed along, probably worried the magical plant might harm him.

He placed another licorice stick by the black wolf's front paw. When the little master got up to head to the closet, the black wolf immediately shoved the licorice stick toward Ash.

Ash: ?

Though, as an undead, he found the taste of licorice sticks a bit odd, it was the little master's licorice stick, so he was happy to accept it.

When Luo Ci returned, the licorice stick had vanished. The black wolf licked its paw, swishing its plume-like tail triumphantly.

There were hours left until the potion was ready.

He suddenly remembered there was one more gift he hadn't delivered—the gift for the Monster Army.

The Monster Army was mainly divided into two major forces: one led by the gargoyle, and the other by the black pegasus, commanding a half-breed battalion.

In the ancient continent, there were many children born from unions between monsters and humans, most of whom were cursed at birth and cast out by society. The black pegasus general was no exception—born as a chimera, with his younger brother's upper body fused to his back, as if a human were riding the black pegasus. This led to his parents abandoning him at birth.

After being recruited by the Monster Army, he naturally joined and rose to his current commanding position through sheer strength.

Luo Ci had a very close relationship with both the gargoyle and the black pegasus general—they had practically watched him grow up. When he first got lost in the Dark Forest as a child, they had searched everywhere for him.

The Monster Army was stationed in the Monster Valley, where the most prominent landmark—even larger than the military barracks—was the gargoyle's towering form.

They were deeply moved by the young prince's gifts. The gargoyle even wept openly, its great stony cheeks glistening. They never expected the young prince to bring them something after his trip.

The black pegasus found the gargoyle's behavior undignified and quickly took over, asking the young prince about his experiences at the academy. Luo Ci answered a few questions, his gaze darting about excitedly. Having often played in the Monster Army as a child, he immediately noticed new additions, such as the magical gauntlets the half-monsters were training with.

Luo Ci's little ears pricked up attentively. "What are those?"

"Magical gauntlets. When worn and the trigger is pulled, they release magical waves. Would the young prince like to try?"

Luo Ci nodded eagerly.

The black pegasus retrieved a magical gauntlet from the armory, flapped its wings to approach the young prince, and carefully strapped the gauntlet onto his chubby little hand.

Luo Ci was bursting with self-assurance—he had scored full marks in archery during his basic magic academy courses. "Even if you blindfold me, I can still hit the bullseye!"

Once his eyes were covered, the young prince raised his hand with full confidence and pulled the trigger, loosing a barrage of magic pulses.

However... not a single one found its mark.

This was understandable, as magical bows and magical gauntlets were entirely different. But... what if the young prince got upset? When one shot finally found its mark, the nearby half-monsters almost wept with relief.

But this still wasn’t enough.

The black pegasus gestured to the gargoyle, signaling it to run over and hold up the target—after all, only the thick-skinned gargoyle was suited for the task. So, the gargoyle wrenched the target from the ground and began moving around with it.

By the time the magical crystal in the gauntlet was depleted, Luo Ci removed his blindfold to see the target pockmarked with hits. Blinking his big eyes, he beamed with childish delight.

This was the Monster Army's way of spoiling their precious charge.

In truth, anyone experienced could tell something was off—there was no way the magical waves from that angle could have hit the target naturally. But it was more than enough to amuse a little one who only knew basic magic. Most importantly... the Monster Army was more than happy to make the young prince smile!

…

In the evening, the young prince, "busy" all day, was whistling a ditty as he returned to the castle. After dinner, as soon as he stepped into his bedroom, his nose caught a sweet aroma, reminding him of the magic cauldron still on the stove.

He dashed over in alarm.

The cauldron was already boiling. Worried the young prince might burn his fingers, Ash lifted the lid for him.

Inside, lavender bubbles burbled, releasing a rich aroma.

Luo Ci took a small spoon, scooped up a bit, and hesitantly sniffed it. The book said it should only brew for three hours—what harm could two extra hours do?

It smelled so good, and it wasn’t burnt.

Thinking this, he gave in and took a sip. The flavor wasn’t as pleasant as the smell—instead, it was strangely tart and acrid.

Seemed like a failure.

Luo Ci puckered his nose and had the blood servant clear away the failed brew. He then headed to the washroom to wash up and change into his pajamas, ready for bed.

The little one, now in his pajamas, went barefoot out of the wardrobe and burrowed into the wolf’s soft mane. He grabbed the thick tail and plunked himself down onto it—lately, he’d become obsessed with using the wolf’s tail as a swing, making it a nightly bedtime routine.

The massive wolf slowly raised itself, swishing its bushy tail at just the right rhythm. Suddenly, the wolf felt an itch in its snout. Even though it held back the sneeze, its breathing grew slightly heavier, causing the young prince, who hadn’t held on tight enough, to sprawl onto the rug.

Woozy from the spill, the little one lifted his head, eyes welling up. His bottom didn’t hurt, but he felt like his tail might have disappeared. He felt behind him with tiny fingers to check—still there. Relieved, he sighed.

The wolf hurried over, tenderly lapping at his face and then his delicate pointed ears—a wolf’s way of offering comfort. The ticklish sensation made Luo Ci chortle.

The wolf gently butted him softly with its muzzle, flipping him over to inspect him seriously. Once assured he wasn’t hurt, it wrapped its tail around him again, pulling him back into its protective circle.

A rap at the door—

The blood servant had intended to enter to return the cleaned magic pot, but the deep growl of the giant wolf echoed in their ears. They immediately set the pot down and turned to leave the bedroom, a clear sign the wolf wanted no disturbances.

The giant wolf was enormous, while the cub was tiny in comparison. He grabbed the wolf's tail and slowly climbed upward, using both hands and feet. It took quite a while before he finally reached the wolf's back. With chubby little hands tightly gripping and a soft, pale face nuzzling into the thick fur, he rubbed his eyes and, drowsy, unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

The wolf turned its head to confirm the cub had fallen asleep on its back before gently swaying its tail and closing its eyes as well.

By midnight, the wolf slowly opened its eyes and instinctively turned to check its back—only to find the small, fluffy bundle that had been nestled there was gone.

In the silent, tranquil depths of the night, a primeval roar of fury resounded through the entire Haisen Castle, its terrifying pressure descending like a nightmare.

Jia Xide, who had just barely fallen asleep, was jolted awake and rolled right off the bed.