Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix - Chapter 482

Chapter 482: Gaining an Ally
Asura stood in the private chamber of the empress, with Celine and Mu Xue standing beside him. Lucia seemed to be tired from helping the elven princess using her powers and thus hid in Asura’s shadow.

“It is a pleasure to see you again so soon, Prince Asura. I am grateful you have already recovered.”

“Mother~ you’re too long-winded!” Celine pouted, hanging onto his right arm, while Mu Xue remained well-mannered.

Although the pair were different, Celine clearly inherited her beauty from her mother, who sat on the small throne and crossed her legs. Although her brothers wanted to join the meeting, it seemed Celine kicked them away because she wished to explain about his chest.

“It seems something interesting happened with the ‘seed’ I gave you last time, Prince.” Ar Melania smirked while resting her cheek in her palm. The aura of an empress in full swing, Celine couldn’t compare to such maturity yet, but her lovely atmosphere felt comforting.

“Your Majesty, of course, it is the grace of Milas Turim.” Asura didn’t believe in the world tree’s power in the past. However, the bloodline and seed of the elves given to him in the past saved his life. This experience enlightened him and created a sense of kinship between himself and the elves.

“I like it when you’re serious…” Her beautiful, blue eyes gazed at the wondrous white tree marking on Asura’s chest.

He understood what the meaning of a second or third-world tree would mean to them. In fact, he also understood seeing the tree able to dominate and accept all the other bloodlines and forcibly make his body evolve.

She would eventually know about the benefits to Asura, but he also worried about its future…

So was forthright about everything instead of keeping secrets and causing stupid issues later. There was also a danger of being targeted by other forces if the truth of his change came out. Asura wanted to have people on his side, and who else but the elves would know how to nurture and protect a world tree?

‘However, the fact it can grow in both my spirit or rather my soul and core at the same time is rather confusing.’

“Melania, there is a world tree inside me. I don’t know what made it grow. I need your guidance and support.”

It felt strange addressing her as Your Majesty when they were in private, and she had already allowed him to drop such a stiff etiquette last time.

“Of course,” She got up and walked toward him with an odd glint in her eyes, “you just need to marry our little princess.”

“Oh~ is that me?! Ehehe!” Celine swayed on Asura’s arm while her mother gave a deadpan gaze before smirking.

“No I am sure that Sylvas would be fine, or Lumis.”

“Mother?! I am already carrying his child!” Celine cried in shock. Even Lucia popped up from Asura’s shadow to hear more information, but he only shrugged. It seems the elf empress was far more playful these days.

“But I would like grandchildren who don’t cry all the time~ you’re too weak.” Ar Melania sighed and ruffled her daughter’s head. The lovely princess pouted as she stood on her toes while trying to avoid her mother’s hand doing such an evil thing.

The empress then turned to face Asura and narrowed her eyes.

“Although we carry the information about raising and nurturing a world tree. Please understand that no two world trees are the same. However, I am interested in the name given to your tree…”

Ar Melania was quite excited to hear that her future son-in-law fused with the world tree seed, but she tried to hide it. After all, if she came on too strong, then what if he came to dislike or hate her kind?

‘My first human son-in-law, I cannot act strange and make him run away!’ She thought, while her stupid daughter just drooled on his arm like a fool. Not a single speck of her royal heritage was on display. ‘Maybe with a daughter this stupid, would it be okay to reveal the truth?’ She pondered.

“Do you plan to name it?” Ar Melania questioned and moved around the group. She could feel a powerful presence when Asura spoke of the tree and its name aloud and frowned slightly. ‘I can feel its existence, but only when Asura speaks about the tree itself. There was a feeling of glee for a moment when he mentioned naming it.’ The Empress became thoughtful.

“As a matter of fact…it has one already. Or at least, I think it has one.” Asura smiled bitterly and nodded, not fully understanding how he even knew that name was the tree’s identity.

Noir, ever since they left the monster forest, noticed she followed him in secret because, like Lucia, the cute dryad carried the ability to hide in shadows.

Asura could sense her existence in the depths of the world tree. Yet he always felt guilty towards her, leaving her in the forest and then leaving her in the city to fight. He knew it was dangerous but never trusted her abilities.

‘Is the real reason for her coming to join the world tree to avoid splitting from me again?’

Asura still lacked knowledge regarding women. He might have improved a lot since the start of the year, but he struggled with keeping up sometimes. It was far easier when he knew their personality, especially with the troublesome women beside him.

“The name of the tree seems to be Milas Noir.”

He remembered the beautiful tree with a pure white tree and red leaves. Yet there was a black pattern that etched the various bloodlines from his monoliths into the bark of the trunk. His instincts told him it wasn’t just a part of the tree and was rather the dryad Noir’s markings.

She had made the world tree her home and bound herself to it.

“I see. The seed we gave you back then must have truly evolved to something extraordinary, the third world tree, but it seems a little different, something new…”

Ar Melania’s eyes shone with delight. She truly wanted to know more. Elves were so curious when it came to the forest and new flora or trees. Even the empress herself wasn’t immune to these feelings.

“Hmph! He only got the seed because I begged him to come to help us. Those smelly orcs are coming here again, so darling, you need to protect me!” Celine pouted, remembering the issues several months earlier.

“Oh my, orcs? Those delicious pig-like monsters?” Mu Xue accidentally revealed her hidden side of enjoying rare meats and food, her words causing the two elves to look at her in horror.

Spica guarding the door, however, looked interested in tasting the orc meat that Mu Xue spoke about. “I wonder if they taste like bacon…”

***

The discussion about the world tree soon ended because Melania asked for more time to research and get some information from the elders to help Asura.

Because he was still only her fiancé, she couldn’t let him directly into the royal library. A place dedicated to the forest and world trees, specific lore and research.

Although the elves were friendly with other races and shared their knowledge when able, they would never reveal such an essential location. Of course, neither would they share information on the world trees with anyone except close allies or family members.

“I believe you should take a rest—my daughter seems to be quite lonely now that you are here. Maybe you could humour her desires before you leave?”

“Of course, last time I rushed away and left her alone, now I will make up for the past. If you need help with the peace talks, let me know, Mother-in-law.”

Despite not learning everything he wanted, the discussion was quite useful to him. There would eventually come a day when he can access the books, or maybe he’d meet the current world tree and find out more information. But with a World War coming, many things took higher priority.

“Hehe, thank you~ please feel free to call me if you need any help, Prince Asura.”

With that, the group left the empress, who seemed to be in a good mood. From Spica’s whisper, he learned she was over the moon. Her first grandchild would be born soon. Elven royalty struggled to produce children it was no secret the empress tried constantly for over a thousand years.

“Phew… Xue’er, Celine, shall we go for a walk?”

“Mm, anything you want, husband.”

“Darling, I want to go to the garden at the southern palace! Let’s go, hehe.”

Although Asura’s physical condition was excellent, he used a lot of energy to heal and seemed to be in a stage of recovery. His aura and magic were slowly recovering by devouring the surrounding atmosphere.

“It seems I need to wait a little while before testing my current state. Spica, I hope you will come with us.”

Asura took her hand and stroked her fingers before winking at her.

“Ah~ darling, don’t seduce Spica, she’s my knight, not yours!”

“Well, she’s going to be my woman anyway; why do you care now?”

“Eh?!”

“Fufu… so amusing… this feels like back home with Xavida…” Mu Xue couldn’t help but giggle at the actions of the three and wondered how everyone back home was doing.