NOVEL WEB Chapter 684: Returning
After confirming that the others had left, Nox turned his attention back to Emerald.
"You have to hurry or leave this place now," she warned. "At your current level, you won't even last three minutes against Krelin."
"That's not an issue. I can get out of here whenever I want. But about that oath," he said. "Let's make some tweaks to it?"
Emerald glanced outside, watching as the shadowy being hovered above the city as if he were searching for something.
"What is it?" she asked.
With a determined gleam in his eyes, he replied, "I want you to help me sabotage all the demon portals, and I swear by my patron god, Terra, that I'll return here to aid you in conquering the demon realm."
"Very well then!" Emerald nodded. "I will carry out my part. Now go!"
Those were just the words Nox wanted to hear. Without hesitation, he activated Exchange and disappeared. In his place stood a confused Demon Lord.
The Demon Lord blinked, glancing around in confusion.
"Wait... this isn't the outskirts," he muttered, his gaze falling on Emerald.
Emerald raised a single brow, equally confused, but there was no time to think or do anything as the formidable presence drew closer to her castle.
"Time to play my part."
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From within the warped space, a familiar figure emerged.
He had dark eyes and raven-black hair streaked with red. His calm gaze casually swept through the crowd of surrendering people.
He raised a brow and asked, "Why do you all look as if you've seen a ghost?"
"Nox!" Serena, who had arrived with Nyx, was the first to speak up.
A small smile lit up across Akira's face as well.
Ria let out a soft breath of relief. For a moment, she had thought their only hope would be captured by the demons—or worse, never return.
"I leave for ten minutes and everyone's preparing a funeral," he smiled.
"Ten minutes?!" Jared practically exploded. "We nearly died! I got chased by demons! Jack almost stabbed the Demon Lord—"
"Almost?" Jack scoffed. "I still might, depending on how this conversation goes."
"I appreciate the welcome committee," Nox said, giving a slight nod to the gathering crowd. "But how is the current situatio—"
He wasn't able to finish his words as he suddenly noticed the presence of the Vermilion Kingdom military and the two royals standing in front of them.
A hostile look flashed across his face. Nox wasn't exactly on good terms with the royal family.
He had a long history with them—and had even killed one of their own, Ainsworth.
Of course, he didn't think they were here for revenge. Not when the entire kingdom was in shambles.
So this begged the question—why were they here?
His gaze fell on the young man clad in armor. He assessed him briefly and was slightly impressed. Even though the man was in his twenties, he was already an expert.
On the other hand, Adrian was also assessing the so-called prodigy of the western region. After seeing Nox's level, his eyes widened in disbelief—and this didn't go unnoticed by those present.
'Level 100 at such a young age,' Adrian inwardly thought. 'Just what has this kid been through in his life?'
Right at that moment, Nyx stepped forward and introduced the two.
"Prince Adrian of the Vermilion Royal Family," she gestured toward the armored man. "And this—this is my brother, Nox Aegis Cromwell."
There was a long pause.
Even the surrounding soldiers seemed to shift uneasily at the name Cromwell. Some had heard the rumors—that the Cromwell Barony had survived multiple demon assaults. That their heir had become something inhuman.
Adrian's lips parted. "You're the one who slew Ainsworth?"
Hearing this, Nox's expression remained calm. "Yes, I did… he tried to get rid of me."
"I see." Adrian narrowed his eyes and then said something that shocked everyone present. "Well, thank you for getting rid of that trash."
"Huh?" The people from the Cromwell Barony were shocked.
What sibling openly thanks the murderer of his brother?
The only ones who didn't seem surprised were the Vermilion soldiers. In fact, if one looked closely, they could even spot a glimpse of gratitude in their eyes.
These soldiers had chosen to stay back and fight. They all knew how cowardly Ainsworth was. Even if he were alive, he would have fled alongside his father.
For a man like Ainsworth—who took advantage of the castle servants and looked down on the commoners—he was as good as dead already.
Nox felt slightly conflicted. He had assumed the gratitude was insincere, but looking at Adrian, the girl, and Ria's 'emotionless face', he realized they were being genuine.
"I see..." he muttered. "Well, I'm glad to have been of help… but I assume you didn't come all the way from the capital just to thank me?"
"Right." Adrian nodded. "I'm here to form an alliance."
Everyone blinked.
Adrian stepped forward, removing his helmet. His face was young but sharp, with a regal bearing and tired eyes that had seen too much war.
"The kingdom is falling. The Flaming Rose has taken half our territory. Demons roam freely on all levels. If something isn't done soon, the capital will fall."
He turned to Nox.
"And based on our scouts, you might be the only person with enough strength to turn this around."
There was another pause. Nox didn't say anything—he simply listened.
"I know my father and your grandfather started off on the wrong foot, but I wasn't in power back then. You know how the court works."
"I do," Nox replied, recalling how the king had abandoned the western region during the monster tide. He calmly held Adrian's gaze and added, "Which is why I don't trust anyone who wears a crown."
Nyx gently placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Nox… maybe we should hear him out."
He glanced sideways. Her voice was soft, but her eyes were firm.
After a long silence, he sighed. "Fine, go on. Tell me about this alliance."