Chapter 438: Protected by the Dragon Demon

The meteors falling from the sky gradually decreased until they disappeared completely.

The meteorites that ravaged the earth finally stopped, and the continuous earthquakes and dust storms slowly subsided.

Everything returned to calm.

However, the ravaged noble district could no longer return to its original state.

“Clatter… clatter…”

The sound of rolling rubble was everywhere.

The lingering dust and sand filled the air like smoke.

“Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—”

Yulin flapped her wings, soaring in the sky, looking at the devastated land below, reduced to ruins, with only dilapidated buildings and craters remaining. Although she suppressed her urge to roar, the excitement in her eyes was hard to conceal.

Clearly, this scene of destruction pleased the almost invincible King of Monsters.

Shien jumped down from the dragon’s head, landing lightly on the ground like a feather, the surging magic power around him subsiding.

The members of Vivian’s squad, either raising their hands to shield their faces or sitting paralyzed on the ground, gathered in front of the Buztout mansion, looking at the scene of destruction, speechless.

In the noble district, apart from a few houses, only the Buztout mansion remained intact.

All other places had been reduced to ruins.

“This…”

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Lumia was speechless.

“…”

Diere was also silent.

“Mr. Shien…?”

Melika couldn’t believe that all this was Shien’s doing.

Even Vivian looked at the scene with shock, then at Shien, who was standing before the destruction with an impassive face, unable to react for a long time. ʀáNο₿Ę𝘴

“…You went too far.”

After a long while, Vivian finally muttered these words.

Shien curled his lip.

“Don’t worry, I’m not crazy enough to massacre people in the capital.” Shien said, “I minimized the power of that magic, limiting its effect to the noble district and dispersing its power. Moreover, I deliberately avoided areas with magic reactions and gave people enough time to escape. There shouldn’t be any innocent casualties.”

Of course…

“There are no innocent casualties, but as for the not-so-innocent ones, that’s another story.”

Shien’s words, spoken with a smirk, made the members of Vivian’s squad notice something.

In the ruined square ahead, the knights and guards of the Lucica family were scattered all over the ground.

Some were buried under the rubble.

Some were trapped in craters.

And without exception, their life signs were gone.

Yes.

Only those who had followed Jeroman’s orders and attacked Shien had suffered fatal injuries. Now, they were either dead or severely wounded.

As for Jeroman…

“Ugh… ah…”

The Duke was lying on the ground in a pool of blood, his breathing faint, his body unable to move, clearly on the verge of death.

It couldn’t be helped.

Shien could let others escape, but this Duke couldn’t.

He was probably hit by the second meteor and couldn’t possibly escape.

If it weren’t for the fact that he seemed to have activated a scroll or used some magic tool at the last moment, creating a very strong magic barrier around him, he would have been crushed to pieces.

“He’s still a Duke after all, quite wealthy. It’s impossible for him not to have life-saving items.”

Shien came to Jeroman, kicking him over so he was facing up.

“So, how does it feel, Duke?”

Shien looked down at Jeroman, his tone sarcastic, as before.

Jeroman opened his bloodshot eyes and looked at Shien.

There was no longer anger or hatred in his eyes, only fear.

“It was you…” Jeroman said faintly, “The one who annihilated… the Garibaldi family… was… you…?”

Jeroman finally realized this.

“I don’t think I ever said it wasn’t me.” Shien shrugged. “It’s just that you arrogant nobles thought I couldn’t do it, so you assumed it wasn’t me. Isn’t that right?”

Now, Jeroman understood.

This time, he had truly provoked someone he shouldn’t have.

“Why…?” Jeroman asked with difficulty, “Why… would you annihilate the Lucica family…?”

Edel had been mercilessly killed by Shien.

The knights he brought were almost all dead.

Even he himself was on the verge of death. Jeroman still couldn’t believe this outcome.

However, his question and accusation sounded ridiculous to Shien.

“You’re actually asking why?”

Shien chuckled as if he had heard a great joke, but there wasn’t a hint of mirth in his eyes.

Indeed, this time, it was Jeroman and the others who had delivered themselves to his doorstep, becoming his example.

But Shien hadn’t chosen this “chicken” randomly.

“Since you’re asking me why, then let me ask you.”

Shien said sarcastically.

“Why can your precious son bully others?”

“Why can your precious son abduct women against their will?”

“Do they deserve to be humiliated and annihilated?”

“And you, knowing all this, how dare you ask me why, and how dare you come to my house so self-righteously, surrounding it and demanding I hand him over?”

Shien placed his foot on Jeroman’s chest.

“So, it’s only okay for you to bully others, but not for others to bully you?”

“If you’re completely clueless, then let me tell you, if you weren’t a Duke, and your Lucica family wasn’t a so-called Duke family, then for what your son did, and for your protection of him, you would have died a thousand times over.”

“But you didn’t die before, not because you didn’t deserve to die, but because someone who could ignore your power, wasn’t threatened by you, and had the ability to kill you, hadn’t appeared yet.”

“And now, since you’ve provoked me, it only means that your time has come. That’s all.”

Shien told Jeroman, in the most direct, domineering, and simplest way, why they had ended up like this.

“That’s why I said, you’re clearly not the most powerful ones, without the ability to act recklessly. What right do you have to do so many things that disregard human rights?”

“Your son bullied others, and you condoned and protected him.”

“The Lucica family accepted bribes, and you were the ringleader.”

“Even within the Lucica territory, there are many nobles who engage in corruption, bribery, collusion, and abuse their power. You, as the lord, know all this clearly, but you chose to turn a blind eye.”

“In that case, tell me, why can’t I dislike you, dislike your son, dislike your entire family, and just kill you all?”

Jeroman heard Shien’s words clearly.

Shien didn’t know if he understood, nor did he care if he did.

Therefore…

“The Lucica family has reached its end today. This is the consequence.”

Shien declared indifferently.

“Go to hell with your precious son and repent to those you’ve harmed.”

Hearing this, Jeroman laughed.

He laughed maniacally.

“You… will also die…”

Jeroman coughed up blood as he laughed.

“Destroying the noble district… like this… offending so many… nobles… and so many foreign dignitaries… they… won’t let you go… the Kingdom… won’t let you go…!”

Jeroman had resigned himself to his fate, in despair, but he didn’t forget to drag Shien down with him.

In fact, some frightened nobles emerged from various corners of the noble district, as if having escaped a disaster, gathering here and looking at Shien with fear and hatred.

Just as Jeroman said, even if Shien only eliminated the Lucica family, he had dared to use such large-scale magic in the capital, destroying the entire noble district like this, he must have been resented by many nobles.

And those foreign dignitaries who came to the capital, many of whom had experienced the terrifying meteor shower and were affected, now hated Shien, right?

Under such circumstances, they only needed to put pressure on the Kingdom, coupled with the crime of destroying the noble district, and Shien would definitely be doomed.

That’s what Jeroman thought.

Unfortunately…

“I’d like to see who dares to touch my person.”

When these calm words echoed through the air, everyone’s expression changed.

“Tap—tap—tap—tap—”

With clear footsteps, a little girl holding a pillow walked out of the Buztout mansion step by step, appearing before everyone.

Seeing the little girl, many people gasped.

“Airi, the Dragon Demon…!?”

“It’s Airi, the Dragon Demon…!”

“She… she’s actually still in the capital?”

“This…”

The people who had returned to the scene, standing around the ruins, all exclaimed in shock.

Airi came to Shien’s side, glanced at the stunned Jeroman, then turned her gaze in another direction.

“Do you dare to touch him, King of Mitra?”

Airi’s words stunned everyone at first, then they realized with shock that in the direction she was looking, Ancil had appeared at some point, getting out of a luxurious carriage.

“Your Majesty!”

The surrounding nobles and commoners changed their expressions, some bowing, some kneeling, to greet Ancil.

Ancil looked at the surrounding ruins, then at Jeroman, who was being stepped on by Shien, his face filled with bitterness.

“Your Highness Airi…”

Ancil opened his mouth, but found himself speechless.

Especially when he looked at Shien, his gaze was incredibly complicated.

Ancil truly hadn’t expected Shien to be so bold, not only crippling a Duke’s family like this, but also destroying the entire noble district.

Such an outrageous act, Ancil couldn’t believe Shien had actually done it.

And Airi even stepped forward and spoke up for Shien.

This was only natural.

“Ever since Sister Sara came here last time and you discovered my existence, you’ve been guessing what my relationship with Shien is, right?”

Airi said indifferently.

Indeed.

People had been guessing what the relationship between Shien and Airi was, and why the Dragon Demon would appear by his side.

This was also why everyone described Shien as “suspected to have the backing of a Demon Lord.”

Because they weren’t sure if Shien was truly supported by a Demon Lord.

Perhaps she just happened to be here?

Compared to the idea of Shien having a friendly relationship with her, many people preferred to think this way.

But now…

“I can tell you directly and dispel your wishful thinking.”

Airi’s voice echoed throughout the area.

“Shien is a human I favor, and he is under my protection.”

“To be his enemy is to be my enemy, the enemy of the Dragon Demon, the enemy of the Demon Race.”

“Want to touch him?”

“Then you have to get my permission first.”