Chapter 320: Princess?

"Are you by any chance... the Princess of Atlantis?" Razeal asked calmly.

The words landed softly.

Silence.

Not the awkward kind but the confused kind.

The kind that stretches just a little too long.

Neptunia froze.

It was subtle. Anyone not paying attention would have missed it. Her steps halted for a fraction of a second, shoulders stiffening as though her body had reacted before her mind could catch up.

"...Umm?"

Her lips parted, the sound slipping out instinctively then she stopped herself. Her mouth closed again. She blinked.

A few seconds passed.

Then she waved her hands quickly, almost too quickly, a laugh forced out of her throat.

"No.. I mean what?" she said, shaking her head. "That’s stupid. What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Me? A princess? How could I possibly be a princess? I mean yeah i am beautiful but definitely not how beautiful princess is.. She’s just goddess."

Her tone was light casual and totally dsmissive.

Too perfect.

She even chuckled, a short, breathy laugh, like the idea itself was ridiculous enough to be amusing. But her eyes her eyes flickered, just once, before she looked away.

Razeal didn’t reply immediately.

He just watched her.

Honestly... her acting was good. Better than good. If he hadn’t already been suspicious, if he hadn’t felt that weird pressure around her since the first time they met.. not to say now even conformation from all these super Villains.. he might’ve believed it.

But he wouldn’t now.

No... he was almost certain.

The reason was simple her bloodline. So high grade that to be praised by super villain’s? And most importantly... it was a water-based bloodline.

As far as Razeal knew, there was only one possibility like that in the entire world.

Princess of Atlantis

He didn’t know much about her, honestly. The novel barely mentioned her. The protagonist never even went to Atlantis, so details were scarce. But one thing was clearly written:

There were only three people in the entire world with an Imperial-grade bloodline.

The first was Celestia.

The second was the Princess of Atlantis.

And the third... was the protagonist himself.

At the beginning, even the protagonist only had a Royal-grade bloodline. It was only after brutal training and countless opportunities that it evolved into Imperial-grade.

Which meant one thing.

If this girl already possessed such a high grade bloodline that some Villain’s just not even able to beleive.

Then yes.

She had to be the Princess.

And honestly, it wasn’t hard to guess.

After all, how else could he explain this?

She was stronger than him.

That alone was ridiculous.

Razeal was already SS-rank.. a Saint. And above that only monsters can be there.. Like people which are known or very famous in whole world.

Like

Above that were Saint Kings.

Then Great Saints.

And beyond that...

Supreme beings.

Those were monsters. The kind of power usually held by Dukes of the Empire. Absolute powerhouses. Utterly known to almost every corner of this world.

If she was stronger then him.. Means atleast saint king or great saint..

And if she was

That was terrifying.

Someone this young possessing such strength was not normal. It was scary.

As for Emperor? A Cosmic Lord?

No thats just impossible. Completely out of the question. Razeal didn’t even need to think about it.

But even being just one rank below that...

It was still absurd.

Razeal shook his head, pushing the thoughts away.

There was no point overthinking it.

It wouldn’t take long.

Just a month ago, he wasn’t even a Saint. And now look at him.

Give him a little more time

And surpassing her wouldn’t be a big deal at all.

At least... that’s what he told himself as he came out of his thoughts.

Neptunia crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly. "Seriously. Think about it. If I were royalty, why would I be wandering around with you people? Why would I need help just to get into the Royal Ocean? Where are my guards? Where’s my escort? Don’t princesses usually travel with, I don’t know an army? Even sea lords attack me remember?"

She spread her hands as if presenting obvious evidence.

Inside her head, though

How did he figure it out?

Her heartbeat didn’t accelerated well not that she was scared. But her thoughts were definitely racing.

Even Father can’t see through my disguise. So just how...?

Her disguise wasn’t anything that could be discovered.. Honestly its just impossible for everyone to notice afterall she made it using her own powers.

Inside her mind, genuine curiosity stirred, sharp and restless. How did he figure it out? she wondered. Even my father can’t tell when I use my disguise abilities...

Her gaze lingered on him, studying his expression as if the answer might be hidden there.

"You think she’s a princess?"

The voice cut in suddenly. Maria, who had been standing quietly to the side, glanced toward Neptunia as if she had been listening to both of them all along.

"She is a princess," Razeal corrected calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Really?"

Maria’s eyes narrowed as she openly examined Neptunia from head to toe, her gaze sharp and skeptical. Honestly, she didn’t look even remotely like a princess. There was nothing regal about her posture, nothing refined enough to convince her outright.

Still... if Razeal was saying it, she supposed she could believe it.. a little. Not fully but definitely having some doubts now.

Doubts became heavy as she continued to stare at Neptunia, curiosity mingling in her eyes.

"You... believe him?"

Neptunia turned her head slowly, her gaze shifting toward Maria. The words left her mouth lightly, but her eyes carried something else entirely. A look.. A look that said really?

Maria didn’t answer right away.

She stood where she was, arms loosely folded, posture relaxed but deliberate. Her eyes narrowed just a fraction as they settled on Neptunia. Not hostility. Not curiosity either. It was the kind of look one gives when measuring something unfamiliar.

Neptunia felt it instantly.

She shifted her eyes away for a heartbeat, then looked back again, frowning slightly. Why is this woman staring at me like that?

There was no warmth in Maria’s gaze. No judgment either. Just a quiet intensity that made Neptunia’s skin prickle a little.

Razeal, standing just a step away from both lf them, noticed it immediately.

Two women, facing each other in silence, eyes locked. Neither blinking. Neither backing down. It was subtle, but the air between them felt tight, as if invisible sparks were snapping and colliding with every second that passed.

He tilted his head slightly. Is it just me... or is something weird in here?

Maria was the first to speak.

"Are you sure you aren’t a princess?"

Her voice was calm, almost casual. But her eyes never left Neptunia’s face. Her arms remained crossed, her chin slightly lifted, as though she were looking down at Neptunia despite there being little difference in their height.

Neptunia smirked.

"Yes. I am not."

She crossed her arms as well, mirroring Maria’s posture without even realizing it. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her back straightening as she met Maria’s gaze head-on.

She wasn’t about to back down.

"Indeed," Maria continued, her tone sharpening just enough to pierce young hearts, "someone with such unremarkable looks and such... unremarkable power definitely can’t be a princess."

There it was.

A faint, dismissive curve tugged at Maria’s lips. Not a smile. More like mild amusement.

"What an embarrassment," she added softly, "to be mistaken for royalty."

Neptunia’s lips twitched.

At that exact moment, something changed.

It was subtle. So subtle that anyone without very sharp and sensitive perception wouldve missed.

From Maria’s right eye, a slow, dim radiance began to bloom. A golden hue, faint to the point of invisibility, flickered beneath her crimson iris. It didn’t flare. It didn’t pulse wildly. It simply existed, quiet and heavy, like a restrained flame.

For the briefest instant, her eye flashed.

Not with light.

With something demonic.

Neptunia didn’t consciously notice the glow but she definitely felt something weird. A pressure brushed against her senses, faint yet unsettling.. Though she didn’t really noticed it much.

But suddenly

Her lips parted before she could stop herself.

"No. I am a princess."

The words came out sharper than she intended.

"And what do you mean, unremarkable?" Neptunia continued, heat rising in her chest. "This isn’t even my true appearance. I altered it so I wouldn’t stand out."

Her voice grew more confident with every word, pride bleeding through restraint.

"As for power.. what do you know about it? I am.."

She stopped.

Mid-sentence.

Her eyes widened as realization crashed into her.

Neptunia slapped a hand over her mouth, fingers pressing hard against her lips.

Damn it.

Her heart skipped. How did I say that much?

She swallowed, eyes darting away for a split second.

Sigh... I slipped my tongue.

Maria watched the entire exchange closely.

The hesitation. The panic. The sudden attempt to retract what had already been said.

A slow, knowing look passed through her eyes.

"So," Maria said at last, turning her head slightly toward Razeal, "she is a princess."

"And she’s hiding her appearance too."

"Yeah," Razeal replied, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I can see that."

But his attention wasn’t on Neptunia anymore.

It was on Maria now.

What was that just now?

His focus sharpened, senses tuning in as his dark affinity stirred. Anything tied to darkness, demonic energy, or close responded to him instinctively.

And just now... he definitely felt something.

His eyes drifted to Maria’s face, specifically her right eye.

She used dark mana.

Not much. Barely a trace. But enough.

And he had seen it. The brief, almost imperceptible change. The golden shimmer buried beneath crimson. Demonic eyes. Or something very close to it.

That energy... it wasn’t ordinary.

As he prepared to question the stream panel but message appeared before he could even form the thought.

Lucifer: Hmm... so that Demonic Heart of a Greater Demon. You transplanted it into this human? And she didn’t receive any backlash at all? Must be because she possesses a high-level bloodline capable of resisting it.. But no only bloodline cant resist that alone.. more than that... she must have an exceptionally strong will. As not tainted by demonic thoughts or demonic nature. A talented human, I’d say... To retain her humanity despite becoming half human and half devil... and she even awakened the Sin Eye. Indeed, a very rare case.

Razeal stared at the floating messages, his brows knitting together.

Talented...? Her?

He couldn’t make sense of it. Still, if Lucifer the number one villain of them all was saying something like this, it had to mean something. And yet, it didn’t add up. Maria was never that important in the original novel. She was just a side character, appearing here and there, and even then only because of her family background. There was nothing particularly special about her.

So he couldn’t understand the praise at all.

Maybe Lucifer was just being kind. Or maybe he was just bullshitting.

Either way, Razeal didn’t dwell on it for long. His focus soon shifted to something else something that made him raise an eyebrow.

"What is a Sin Eye? And is that what she just did?" Razeal asked silently, directing the question straight into the live stream. "I couldn’t fully perceive it... or understand it completely. But it’s something related to her eye, right?"

Lucifer:You don’t know what she did? Well, that’s understandable. It isn’t something common. A Sin Eye is a type of Demonic Eye.

Well.. even among demonic eyes, it is extremely rare.

Razeal: What does it do exactly?

His voice remained calm, but irritation brewed beneath the surface. Lucifer was dragging the explanation longer than necessary.

Lucifer: A Sin Eye... In her case, she became a devil through a heart that once belonged to a demon born from Sin of Lust and Pride. Because of that, the Sin Eye she awakened embodies those two sins.

Lucifer: One of its functions is well... When facing someone who already possesses Lust or Pride especially at a high level she can provoke those emotions with minimal stimulus. She doesn’t force actions or the the will but yeah she can magnifies what already exists. Pride becomes recklessness. Lust becomes impulse. And once amplified... those sins turn against the person themselves.

Razeal read the message carefully.

A faint understanding surfaced on his face.

So that’s what happened...

She had amplified Neptunia’s pride. Pushed it just enough for her to act without thinking. He thought

Judging from Neptunia’s expression, She didn’t even realize it happened.

Razeal exhaled quietly

That’s dangerous...

Razeal rubbed his chin slowly.

"Really interesting power." He said

Ancestor Xue: Interesting, yes but very limited. Those with strong mental foundations can resist it easily. And once the ability is known, its effectiveness drops sharply. In the end, it is nothing more than subtle manipulation.

Lucifer: You know nothing.. It is a grave sin yo stand before a devil who can influence sin while carrying sins.. No one is without sin. And the stronger the individual, the deeper and more potent their sins become... I have witnessed billions die when a single human awakened a Sin Eye of Lust alone. And she possesses Pride as well. The things that can be done with such power are beyond your comprehension. Your thoughts are small. Weak. You wouldn’t understand with such shallow thinking weak man.

Ancestor Xue: Haha, you’re boasting quite a lot, young man. What do you know about the human heart? I have lived far longer than you can imagine. Pride and lust may blind the weak but before true power, they become meaningless. This so-called Sin Eye is a trivial ability. Stop glorifying it.

Lucifer: Young man?

Lucifer: I am older than the very worlds you have walked upon. And you believe you understand the human heart better than I do

Ancestor Xue: Kid, are you sure her ridiculous eye hasn’t gone to your head?

Ancestor Xue: Older than my world?

Ancestor Xue: Older than the world? You may look impressive behind a floating screen whatver SSS++ is or whatever but strength is not proven that way... Nor do i beleive so

Ancestor Xue: Face me one day. I have destroyed planets. Then we’ll see whose age truly matters.

Lucifer: Oh~

Razeal glanced at the rapidly scrolling stream chat, the tension between the two ancient beings thick enough to suffocate.

What are these idiots even talking about?

Razeal stared blankly at the stream.

None of it made sense. Their words felt hollow grandiose, pointless. Less like an exchange of ideas and more like two ancient egos desperately searching for an excuse to clash.

So this is how old villains argue? He exhaled internally. No wonder they’re dead.

The chat panels exploded messages surging up and down in rapid waves. Prideful remarks. Provocations. Thinly veiled insults.

Lucifer was clearly being baited.

And the old man sharp-tongued, smug didn’t even seem interested in reason or explanation. He wasn’t even debating. He was just roasting. Pure and simple ragebait.

Razeal looked away.

Waste of attention.

He ignored the stream entirely for a few seconds and shifted his focus forward.

Neptunia and Maria stood facing each other now, the air between them taut and heavy.

Neptunia crossed her arms and looked aside, cheeks puffed in mild irritation.

"Alright... I admit it," she said reluctantly.

"I’m a princess."

Maria blinked.

Then she leaned slightly toward Razeal, her voice dropping calm, clinical.

"Is she an enemy now?"

"She stayed with us while lying about her identity. She withheld information and participated under false pretenses," Maria continued evenly. "Should we kill her?"

Silence.

"...Wait what?" Neptunia’s eyes twitched, her mouth parting in genuine shock.

That escalated fast.

Kill? Just like that?

They had fought together. Traveled together. Shared days battles, meals, trust.

No hesitation at all? Not even a second thought?

Her heart broke?

No feelings? No attachment?

She stared at Maria, disbelief mixing with something far more painful.

How can people be this cold? She is so... stone-hearted?

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