NOVEL WEB Chapter 363: The Lonely Goddess
Once the group entered deeper into the woods, beautiful colours finally appeared: purple, blue and orange fruits, vibrant green flora and vines. The silver trees formed the basis of the forest, while the green vegetation was a minority.
"Please, follow me." Turan's voice became calmer as they progressed. His earlier arrogance was directed only at Asmodeus, who ignored him.
Ciela, a young woman returning home after many years, was most interested in the surroundings, while Levia, Velvet and Alice found the contrasting colours appealing.
"Princess, the city has changed greatly since you left, I hope you will not be too shocked."
Surrounded by dozens of elven rangers, their party avoided any monsters or magic beasts. It would take at least two days to reach the centre thanks to the special elven magic narrowing the distance and breaking the mist barriers.
"We should rest here for tonight..."
Seven hours into their journey, Turan's voice echoed once again. The sunlight was fading, and the sky was filled with moonlight.
"It's beautiful..." Asmodea sat atop a thick branch, setting up her sleeping bag.
"Truly, to think such a wonderful scenery existed." Vinea's hands stopped moving—the sparkling of the silver trees, thanks to the moonlight, creating a mysterious and calming aura.
One of the female rangers stood close to the woman and nodded before speaking. "It is said that the goddess Aristella plucked her silver hairs, impressed by the beauty of Serena, the goddess of darkness and created this forest."
"Oh?" Velvet also listened in to the conversation, thinking to herself about how Asmodeus seemed close to the goddess of darkness. "Is that what causes it to sparkle at night, and not the day?"
The ranger nodded, her lips curled into a wide smile. "Yes, the goddess who created the elves seemed to have a close relation to the goddess of darkness, and this is her method of paying homage."
"Then what about the goddess of darkness, what did she do?" Vinea's voice echoed through the forest as the women discussed mythology.
"It is said there is a forest in the empire of beasts that resembles this silver forest, a peach forest, said to resemble the fruits from Aristella's garden. The small petals create a beautiful scene once a year as those peach-coloured petals dance through the sky."
.
.
.
While the conversation continued, a slight distance away, Asmodeus leaned back against one of the silver trees, his hand holding a small cup of alcohol from the Inukami clan. "Hey, Serena, is that true? Are you close?"
Woosh—!
A flutter of wind caused his golden hair, the petals and branches, to sway. A pair of delicate hands extended, brushing it out of his eyes, stroking Asmodeus softly. Then, a figure wrapped around his back and hugged him tight.
"That girl was a gentle and kind goddess." Selene's deep, affectionate voice tickled his ears while she nuzzled against his neck. "Aristella... one of my few allies. No? Would it be more prudent to call her my little sister?" For a moment, Serena became silent, her fingertips dancing across the demon king's forehead.
"She would follow me around, always calling my name back when she was just a minor goddess, unable to even create a race."
Asmodeus closed his eyes slowly, taking deep breaths as if to savour the scent and feel of Serena's hands. Her voice, like a singer, lulled him to rest like a lullaby.
"I thought you hated other gods?" A genuine question, his lips trembling as a pair of teeth nibbled the tip of his long ears.
"Mm~ I did, but after losing Lilith, that girl became the new goddess of elves, without power and like a puppet she reminded me of the young Lilith and so, I couldn't turn her away, after seeing the other gods bully her."
Serena's eyes narrowed, and she gazed nostalgically at the glistening moonlight. Her hands grasped Asmodeus as she continued to speak of her memories.
.
.
.
The tale wasn't overly magical or special, but Asmodeus never showed disinterest, as a young goddess tried to help her people and an older goddess dealt with her grief.
The pair healed each other's wounds and grew close like sisters.
However, Asmodeus noticed the story stopped at a point where nothing bad could happen, and he also knew that the pair were no longer close.
Yet he couldn't ask or push further... because of how beautiful Serena's gleaming eyes looked while gazing up at the moonlight in the silver forest.
'One day, will you tell me?'
"When I find the answer myself, will you be there beside me?" Serena's fading voice whispered in the wind. With that thought, he received the answer he needed and fell into a comfortable sleep within the arms of a goddess.
The sound of his beloved women discussing topics they might avoid when he lingered caused him to sleep soundly, and he felt at peace in this foreign forest.
.
.
.
[You, why have you come to my forest? King of demons?]
It was a strange, blurry world filled with vibrant colours, yet it was familiar as if Asmodeus were walking in a garden. Asmodeus was not scared as a soft, gentle, almost melodic voice reached his ears.
He tried to focus on the flowers, plants and animals, but their faces appeared distorted and without features. Instead, he found it easier to close his eyes and imagine them in his head.
When he closed them, only for a second, a blue-haired woman sat before him, hugging her knees and sitting atop a black tree, gazing at a distorted moon.
'No... that's a girl, a little girl.' The image became distorted and focused, but only the girl became clear. Her hair constantly changed colour, like the silver trees in the elven forest shimmering under the moon.
[Why did you come here?]
"Are you, Goddess Aristella?" Asmodeus stepped onto the branch and lowered his gaze to the small girl, who was hugging her knees without eyes and with a mouth sewn shut.
[How?]
There was something ominous about her. A sense of unknown fear washed over Asmodeus, and the feeling of the goddess made his blood cold, creating goosebumps on his arms. Unable to understand, he asked a question.
"Are you alright?"
There was no response. Asmodeus didn't need one; all he could see was the pitiful figure of a young woman—a girl who resembled a corpse—yet radiated a serene atmosphere.
[How long must I wait here for my sister to come and find me?]
There was something unnatural in her words. When her mouth moved, the stitches across the corners tightened, opening only enough to make a sound. Yet that sound became a voice in his mind.
Asmodeus didn't know if this was a dream or perhaps it was real, but he knelt down and softly placed his hand on her hair before stroking her.
He didn't care if this girl was a human or monster or a goddess because he knew that even now, Serena didn't hate Aristella, and if there were some reason the two parted, he wanted to bring them together again.
[Can you do it?]
The girl's empty gaze snapped towards him, a feeling of extreme terror and darkness spreading from her body. Both hands grasped his shoulders as she repeatedly asked the same question as if broken.
.
.
.
"Lord! Lord! Please wake up!"
After Ciela cried for the tenth time and Alice's hand grabbed Asmodeus's shoulder, his eyes fluttered, and he began to wake.
"W-What... what's wrong?" The Demon King sat upright, feeling something drip down the side of his head, touching it softly. However, as his fingertips touched him, his eyes opened wide.
Blood.
"My love... your ears and eyes suddenly started bleeding... you were having a seizure in your sleep!" Asmodea hugged his chest and lay between his thighs, her lips, dress and hands covered in blood. She kissed him, licking away the copper taste. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes.
At that moment, Alice looked at Ciela and the others, aware of the sharp glares from the elves who noticed Ciela's close relationship with the demon king.
"We must leave for the silver city... Demon, if you are sick then do not slow us down any further!" Turan's words caused the females around Asmodeus to become irritated; they would stay by the man's side and take as long as needed, but he stood up.
His eyes met Alice briefly, and then, gazing at the other women, he showed a faint smile. "Don't worry. I just met someone a little powerful in my dreams, and she punished me for being ignorant. Haha."
'I wonder... if I passed your test, Goddess Aristella...'
The fact she seemed to be sealed, or at least a prisoner in her realm, made Asmodeus feel this sudden demon invasion, and the actions that Ciela told him about her stepmother and the concubine Er'Gladia made him suspicious.
[You must be careful, I couldn't help you... For some reason, it is the place you vanished to... I don't understand what has happened, but if it's too dangerous, please give up.]
'I won't push myself too far, Serena.'
His gaze narrowed, and the memory of that place had lingering effects. Ciela and the other women's faces remained faceless and blurry until the elf Turan scolded him.
'A fearsome situation.'
However, Asmodeus just couldn't seem to believe that the goddess would betray or abandon Serena. The first thing she mentioned and responded to was Serena.
He wanted to meet the royal family to learn more about the elves and their goddess.
'Something feels off... the fact she didn't create the elves, but became their new goddess, what if the original goddess didn't die...'
The situation became interesting for Asmodeus. After caring more about himself, he wanted to learn more about Serena, Ciela, and this world.
He also wanted to know about the world that his mother was born into.