Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

From the moment, he made the choice of abandoning his humanity and delved into the disgusting and dishonourable magic known as necromancy. To rely on a being that demanded the lives of their entire world just to make his niece become his woman.

The future of the man now sitting on a cold, empty throne became lost.

Anduil gazed down, four human knights old, weary and tired, those who followed his brother and then betrayed him to attain more power.

"You, Lucas. Report the current situation."

"Sire… the enemy has taken the southern front, with their rapid advance our troops have been completely routed."

There were traces of worry and anxiety in the words and aura of Lucas. He took responsibility for communication within their army and kingdom.

However, the day that Ulvar fell, he was attending a banquet with the other surviving nobles who supported Anduil in the northern territories.

"Imbecile!"

Anduil's furious roar echoed through the gloomy throne.

After the death of his brother, the beautifully decorated statues and artworks were sold.

A dragon loved sparkling things, shiny things were like a status symbol. Thus, the entire palace was filled with priceless gold and silver artefacts, along with a mass of gemstones. All that was for Xavida when she grew older and took the throne.

Now, however, there was nothing.

He threw a stack of reports, some regarding Lucas and his actions at the ball and party to the north, which female noble he forced into his bed and the cost to have it silenced.

Contrary to Asmodeus and Xavida's beliefs, the Regent Anduil didn't kill all the people. He seemed to have some semblance of a brain.

Those with skills, those who could farm or carried a trade, were given a chance to survive. Of course, this didn't come for free. There was another reason the people didn't flee or try to gather support against Anduil.

They needed to sign a soul contract with Anduil and their entire family would be part of the collateral if they betrayed him even in the slightest.

"How are the people handling the news, have we managed to hide the fact the enemy has reached the central plains?" Pedro, one of the other aides who helped with administrative work, a former merchant who helped Anduil sell goods illegally across the continent.

Anduil's gaze once again focused on the male with messy brown hair.

Lucas didn't understand how he became the scapegoat. But it frustrated him that even he signed a contract like the commoners. His cost would be his beloved daughter, who would become the concubine of Anduil should he betray him.

"I have no idea how the news hasn't spread, our outposts have been wiped out by that damned Silvaran King and his band of whores."

"Hmm."

Anduil didn't speak, instead watched his remaining retainers, all arguing and making each other the scapegoat. To him, there wasn't a need to worry. Because he believed that the Abyssal Monarch Mortis was still waiting to strike.

Because of a fatal error with the scouts who failed to escape the black stars' explosion, Anduil didn't know that both of the Abyssal Lords he bartered his soul with, had perished.
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Nor that his soul was gradually collapsing due to this.

"Forget it, stop arguing among yourselves. Won't we fall apart at this rate, my dears friends?"

Their lips trembled, whispering 'You bastard' in their hearts, forced to call him a friend, at the edge of a blade if they would so much as resist.

Many of them regretted the night they poisoned the former Empress and caused her husband's death by using the situation when his mind entered a state of madness.

However, Anduil's confidence and his trust in the dread lords couldn't fall.

Instead, he closed his eyes and leaned back against the throne, waving a black envelope between his fingertips.

"Should we invite my stupid niece to a ball?"

A twisted smile suddenly grew on his lips, obscene and cruel. In the mind of Anduil Bahamot, there was a plot forming.

"I am sure she will love what I have planned, hahaha!"

The men kneeling before the Regent suddenly shuddered, a cold breeze blowing down their spines causing a tingle. They knew this face, this tone of voice. It was the same as when he first told them that he wanted to rid the Demon Empire of Dragons.

Meanwhile, standing across the beautiful Rubella plains, overlooking the central portion of the demon empire and the location of where most of their agriculture and food is prepared.

Asura and Xavida stood at the edge of the clifftop, overlooking the peaceful basin. It was filled with greenery, beautifully designed farmland and rivers that flowed in a complex system to provide the entire basin with water.

"It's beautiful."

A basin was created between two massive cliffs on either side of the plains. At the centre was a large river flowing across the entire basin, splitting into hundreds of tiny tributaries.

However, that wasn't what caused Asura to gasp in surprise and awe. It was the system of agriculture the demon race had devised that shocked the humans.

He could already imagine how many thousands of people it would have taken just to carve out this enormous valley of farmland. This wasn't something that would be created within 5 or even 100 years. It would take generations upon generations of families and rulers toiling and working themselves to the bone.

And the fact they even designed such a system and thought up the ideas that Asura was reading, that this wasn't some magic, but a natural way of using gravity and water. It was the ideal that he and Verana once debated and tried to recreate in the Phoenix Glade before she died.

"Do you like it? My father said this is the gift that my bloodline gave to the demons over two thousand years ago for accepting them as their rulers." Xavida's eyes beamed while looking at Asura's face and how he enjoyed and showed interest in her homeland.

Even she doubted the possibility of her return.

The fact they travelled this far, destroying a total of 12 garrison bases and outposts and 4 forts in less than a month without even taking more than a few dozen casualties was all because of her beloved husband.

'He's been fighting non-stop since Ulvar… I am worried.'

It was impossible.

Even so, it was a fact, a fact that Xavida didn't want to question, as they had made it to the final and last stop. After this point, the distance to the capital was roughly three to four weeks, depending on how fast they went.

"Xavida, can we have a rest and speak to the people?" Asura's eyes looked bright. He beamed with an emotion and enthusiasm that she didn't quite understand. Though it reminded her of the past, and she clenched the edges of her dress trying to hide her excessive delight at his change.

'Seeing him like this again, it makes my heart feel at ease.'

"Then, shouldn't we invite Lady Verana and her sister Verena?" Xavida didn't like to share his smile, but also started to understand that sometimes having the other sisters around was fun too.

'As long as they love Asura, I don't care.'

Not long after reaching the southern peninsula, Lorem and Helliana started showing signs of entering Oviparity. This is a stage in which their eggs have reached a stage where they must be laid in a suitable environment.

Both of them chose to lay them in the same place and watch over them until they hatched. This left only Verana, Xavida, Asura and Verena to continue on their conquest of the Demon Empire, as Sigurd offered to help rebuild and protect the coast of Wolfsheim.

'To think that everyone is starting to give birth… I wonder how those girls are doing, should I also forget my revenge?'

Xavida's situation was different to Lorem and Helia who both carried the phoenix bloodline. Their eggs needed to be looked over, as they would hatch shortly after laying them.

However, as a dragon, Xavida's eggs needed Mana to hatch, thus once she poured enough to fill the five she hatched in the palace, she left them with Queen Vela, who just gave birth to two lovely girls.

'Because of darling's bloodline, they seem to mature quickly.'

As if to protect them from a harsh world, the twins born to Vela rapidly matured, and grew to the size of small children in a few months.

Although they seemed to gain knowledge quickly, their growth slowed down after reaching that state, but caused a lot of chaos for the new Queen and human officials.

"Xavida, I don't know what's on your mind right now, but shall we head down and meet your people for now?"

Asura treated her so well from the moment they spoke after Ulvar, his words and actions different from the last time she met him. He became more mature, accepting and understood when she wanted to say something but hesitated.

'I am truly blessed.' She thought to herself as she grasped his hand, and they entered the beautiful basin together.