CH 49

On a bright morning, Pei Xia woke from his slumber, momentarily bewildered, and sat up from his warm bed.

It seemed he had a rather peculiar dream last night, a flashback to his high school entrance examination, and perhaps even a glimpse of Lucifer?

The details were somewhat hazy, but the anxiety and restlessness from the dream still lingered. He had already graduated from college, and he had even crossed into a different world. So why was he dreaming about a high school exam?!

Pei Xia suddenly shivered, shaking himself vigorously. As he regained his composure, he realized something was amiss.

The night before, he vaguely recalled reading the Book of Light to Lucifer before going to sleep. The subsequent events were rather unclear, but no matter what, he shouldn’t be in this soft, luxurious bed!

Pei Xia lowered his head and couldn’t resist lifting the white, fluffy blanket to his nose, taking in a faint, almost imperceptible scent of roses.

It was Lucifer’s fragrance!

After this thought crossed his mind, Pei Xia suddenly became aware that his actions seemed somewhat bizarre. He felt a bit embarrassed and, turning his head, he met Lucifer’s peculiar gaze.

Pei Xia: “Ah-choo!”

Lucifer sat at the elegant table on the balcony with a book in front of him. There was a vase on the side, with a few freshly blooming roses.

He watched Pei Xia in silence for a moment and said, “If you need to sneeze, don’t use the blanket.”

Pei Xia stiffly let go of the blanket and got out of bed. As he put on his clothes, he awkwardly asked, “Your Grace, how did I end up in your bed?”

Although it seemed like nothing had happened, suddenly finding oneself in the boss’s bed was rather awkward!

Lucifer calmly replied, “Last night, you were too tired and fell asleep. I didn’t want to wake you, so we slept together.”

“Thank you very much,” Pei Xia said, somewhat hesitantly.

Although what Lucifer said made perfect sense and aligned with his caring and kind demeanor, for some reason, it still felt a bit peculiar.

After getting dressed, Pei Xia felt more at ease. He bowed to Lucifer and said, “I am deeply grateful for your care, Your Grace. I will be more cautious in the future.”

“It’s not a problem,” Lucifer mumbled quietly.

Just as Pei Xia was contemplating how to escape this awkward situation, Lucifer suddenly asked from behind, “Who is Lu something?”

Pei Xia staggered and turned around, looking at him in bewilderment. Lu something?

The two of them stared at each other, one with a look of confusion and the other with an inquisitive expression.

Lucifer raised his hand to cover his mouth, coughed lightly, and asked with composure, “I heard you mumbling in your sleep. You mentioned something about high school and secret admiration, right? Pei Xia, it seems you used to like someone.”

Pei Xia replied, “Well, maybe I did. But Your Grace, please rest assured that I no longer care about those things. My heart now belongs entirely to the God of Light!”

Lucifer looked at him with a slight tilt of his head and a hint of a smile, “Is that so? Very well.”

Pei Xia secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But speaking of which, who is Lu something?

A brand new day, a brand new appearance, and finally, the pillows of the Holy Knights could be relieved from hiding in their clothes!

In the past few days, although everyone had a common bizarre experience, it inevitably piqued the curiosity of the servants.

Lucifer’s image must not be tarnished in any way, so Pei Xia told them that it was a collective practice within the Church of the God of Light. Whether they believed it or not, at least it was a somewhat acceptable explanation.

Now that the side effects of the Fruit of Life had disappeared, the peaceful courtyard once again opened its doors to welcome the faithful.

It was another busy day. In the evening, after everyone had gradually dispersed, Prince Harry arrived with his attendants.

Prince Harry and his attendants all wore the same expression of sadness and despair on their faces. Upon seeing Lucifer, he promptly knelt on the ground, closed his eyes in anguish, and raised his hands toward the sky.

“Oh, my God of Light, oh, my Xetis! Why, why has everything turned out like this?”

As he spoke, the grown man began to weep bitterly. His tears even moved his guards to tears.

Pei Xia watched in shock, guarding Lucifer protectively, fearing that Prince Harry might suddenly lose control and harm Lucifer.

“Your Grace, has Prince Harry not yet awakened from the succubus’s enchantment?”

Lucifer, leisurely sipping his tea, smiled and replied, “Full awakening takes time. The deeper the emotional attachment during the enchantment, the more challenging it is to regain clarity.”

Pei Xia couldn’t help but be amazed. Thankfully, the succubus’s influence was not deep enough to ensnare him and Lucifer, or the situation would have been incredibly awkward.

“Your Highness, did you come here just to mourn your lost love?” Pei Xia interrupted Prince Harry’s crying, fearing it would soon be nighttime. They couldn’t let him continue like this.

Lucifer hadn’t even had dinner yet, and they couldn’t afford any delays.

Prince Harry choked for a moment, wiped his tears, and then knelt before Lucifer with a contrite expression.

“No, my Lord of Light, I’ve come to thank and apologize to you. I’m truly grateful for your rescue from the clutches of the demon, and oh, just mentioning it makes me feel so ashamed!”

Lucifer remained calm, not showing any signs of disturbance in the face of this collective display of grief. At times, Pei Xia couldn’t help but marvel at how truly remarkable Lucifer was.

Sometimes, his spirit was as fragile as glass, and at other times, as strong as a diamond.

Lucifer asked, “Your Highness, are you referring to the theft of the Fruit of Life?”

Prince Harry nodded while covering his face.

Lucifer smiled gently, “Please don’t be too hard on yourself. The Magistrate took the initiative to send compensation yesterday, considering that those influenced by succubi are not in their right minds. Oh, and one more thing.”

Prince Harry inquired, “What is it?”

Lucifer’s gaze remained polite and calm as he said, “When we discovered the presence of demons around you, I had already sent letters to Princess Eva, His Majesty the King, and the Church of the God of Light. By now, Princess Eva should be on her way back.”

Prince Harry: “…”

In the end, the prince, torn between grief, guilt, and embarrassment, departed with his guards. Not long after, someone delivered a compensation personally prepared by him.

Pei Xia checked the list and found it contained valuable items. However, they were more ornamental than practical, such as elegant but revealing fur coats, beautiful jewelry that served no purpose for the Holy Son and the Holy Knights, and heavily scented perfumes that could practically suffocate someone.

Pei Xia guessed right away that these were intended to please Xetis.

He felt a mixture of disdain and irritation. His opinion of Prince Harry dropped a few notches.

Lucifer, on the other hand, remained composed, showing no signs of sadness. “The prince probably purchased these items with whatever money he had left. Let’s sell them in a charity auction and use the proceeds to build a branch of the church.”

Pei Xia couldn’t help but admire, “Your Grace, you are truly generous, and kind!”

Lucifer was a bit exasperated by this persistent flattery from the slightly embarrassed Holy Knight.

But Pei Xia’s mood improved slightly because he noticed that His Lordship didn’t seem to care as much about Prince Harry. Perhaps, after the encounter with the succubus Xetis, he no longer had feelings for the prince!

Pei Xia was highly motivated and worked tirelessly. When Princess Eva arrived, her first action was to present a royal decree and take Prince Harry back to the royal city.

Her second action was to visit Lucifer in person to express gratitude and apologies. It wasn’t for the Fruit of Life, as she was unaware of that matter, but rather for Prince Harry’s failure to protect the people and his susceptibility to succubi’s influence, which could have caused a major disaster.

Lucifer responded with gentleness, not blaming her at all.

So, for her third action, Princess Eva was even more dedicated. She decided to assist in establishing a branch of the Church of the God of Light.

The turmoil caused by the demon incursion during the onslaught of monsters and Prince Harry’s succubus influence made the Kingdom of Sumi Agada realize the importance of Light Magic users. As a result, they were committed to cultivating more Light Magic users here in the long term.

However, this was a long-term endeavor. In the short term, they aimed to bring in existing Light Magic users by establishing a church branch.

After handing over the matter to Princess Eva, Lucifer and his entourage prepared to leave the city of Atna and continue their journey. It was the same lineup as before, with the Son of Light and seven knights, along with two fully loaded carriages. Most of Prince Harry’s compensation had been sold, and the compensation from the Magistrate was more practical. It included delicious, long-lasting food, tea, essential oils, spices, fabrics, paper, clothing, and a large crate of the Scriptures of Light. For the Church of the God of Light, this was another form of practical aid.

Their next destination was the Northern Great Plains. Pei Xia rode on his horse, flipping through a small diary in his hand, feeling a bit melancholic. They were getting closer to the point in the original story where the author stopped updating. The original story only went as far as Lucifer and the others entering the Great Plains and encountering a few small orc tribes. After that, they were supposed to head to the orc capital, but there was no further content.

In other words, after completing this final bit of the plot, Pei Xia would be left in the dark. His most significant cheat and reliance, it seemed, would be of no use.

Pei Xia scratched his head but then cheered up. Regardless of what happened, sticking with the handsome male lead would be fine, right?

The weather was nice today, and Lucifer opened the window to let in some fresh air. Leaning against the window frame, he peered at Pei Xia, whose expressions were always so diverse.

Suddenly, he called out to Pei Xia, startling him. Pei Xia quickly stashed the small diary and turned to look at Lucifer.

“My Lord of Light, do you have any orders?” he asked.

Lucifer replied, “No, I just wanted to ask what you were thinking.”

Pei Xia awkwardly scratched his head and thought about what excuse to give, as he couldn’t reveal the truth. Then he came up with one.

“I was thinking about your wish, and I also thought about how we’re about to enter the Great Plains and meet countless handsome orc guys. It made me feel very content. My Lord of Light, please rest assured; I’ve heard that orc males are all strong and full of testosterone. You will surely find a suitable romantic partner!”

This not only lifted Lucifer’s spirits but also inspired Pei Xia.

Thinking about groups of muscular men running and frolicking on the grasslands, Pei Xia couldn’t help but yearn for it.

Lucifer was momentarily baffled by Pei Xia’s words, but then he realized what Pei Xia was talking about. Yes, he had said that. Pei Xia was longing for a group of strong and handsome orc guys, but the perfect romantic partner he wanted was right in front of him!

Lucifer shook his head helplessly and said, “Very well, let me see what you can do.”

As the group gradually entered the grassland area, they were only on the outskirts of the orc kingdom. Human settlements were sparse in this region, and occasionally, they would come across some humans in the distance, usually merchants and trade caravans.

But as they ventured deeper into the grassland, the terrain became rougher, and the surroundings were covered in lush greenery.

On this day, with no one else on the road, Lucifer’s group began to relax. However, at that moment, they were suddenly stopped by a group of people emerging from the grass at the roadside.

The leader of the group, who appeared to be the chief, declared, “This road was made by us. These trees and grass were planted by us! If you want to pass through here, leave a toll!”

More than thirty orcs surrounded Lucifer’s group, blocking their way.

Lucifer peered ahead and couldn’t help but give Pei Xia a sideways glance, asking, “Strong physique? Bursting with testosterone? Handsome?”

Pei Xia replied, “Surprisingly, it’s all unexpected!”

That’s because the ones surrounding them were not the strong and handsome orcs Pei Xia had hoped for. Instead, there were more than thirty short and shifty-looking ratfolk!