Chapter 33: The Morning Star of the Kingdom Takes Action

Fim, a zombie demon, possessed no human memories from before she became a zombie. After awakening, she remained in the Demon King’s Castle, serving as a maid. Thus, both in appearance and in spirit, Fim was a true demon who cared little for her own looks. The act of stitching her limbs together was merely a way to make her chores easier.

Fim stared at the needle and thread in her hands with hollow eyes, confirming she had missed no details, before nodding and looking toward Mino.

"But, this is really a hassle," Mino said, shaking his head with a touch of regret.

Just to stitch those few wounds, he had to spend an hour or two laboring under dim lighting, and the results would only last a single day. "Isn't there a way to heal those wounds properly?" Mino asked.

"Wounds... are just... inconvenient... for work," Fim replied, shaking her head. "In battle, I am not afraid. Demons do not seek to resemble the human form."

Given the inherent nature of a demon's body, even the tome demon Swire had few solutions. Furthermore, since the demon race had no desire to mimic human appearances, such research was nonexistent.

Mino let out a "hmm," his disapproval deepening. "Demons don't have to be like humans, but... there's nothing wrong with looking a bit more human, is there?" Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Wait, I might have a way."

He checked his system interface, then reached out and pressed his fingers gently onto the half-stitched wound on Fim’s arm.

"Ah!" A brief, adorable cry echoed in the darkness.

"Mino, you..." Fim’s hollow face suddenly surged with color. Within her fluctuating pupils, a light imbued with sacred power began to reflect. The power, manifested from thin air, spread throughout the small room.

"Ooh..." Mia, the white-haired girl in Mino’s arms, let out a comfortable sigh and burrowed deeper into his embrace.

Fim suddenly felt an itching sensation in her wounds, as if something were growing within them. She blinked, then watched as a thread fell onto her snow-white thigh like a strand of hair. It was the very thread that had just been stitched into her wound. Theoretically, the moment the thread fell away, it should have been accompanied by the sensation of her left arm detaching—a feeling Fim knew all too well—but now, that feeling was gone.

She stared, stunned, at her left shoulder. The soft, pale skin showed no trace of a wound; it was as smooth as jade, and her arm moved with complete, fluid freedom.

"Healed..."

Fim looked at the other parts of her body. The mangled, bloody wounds had vanished, as if they had never existed.

Mino exhaled, a look of satisfaction on his face as he clapped his hands. "Although demons don't really need to look like humans," he said, giving her a thumbs-up, "it doesn't hurt for Fim to be a little more like a girl!"

Fim stared at Mino blankly, as if she didn't quite understand.

"Don't thank me. Fim’s cooking is delicious, so consider this paying off my debt!" Mino, assuming Fim wanted to ask why he helped her, immediately gave another thumbs-up, secretly feeling quite pleased with himself. *Call me Mino Leifeng!*

With a jaunty, unbothered stride, Mino tossed out a "goodnight" and floated out of Fim’s room. Fim gazed at his retreating back for a long time, still puzzled. Such pure healing power, enough to mend even her demonic physiology... with such potent healing magic, couldn't Mino have used it on himself to purify his seals and restore his own power?

Fim sat there, lost in thought for a long time, until finally, a glimmer of light appeared in her eyes, as if she had found the answer. "Mino... is a good person."

***

"Heh heh heh~ A useless bit of healing in exchange for looking cool? I made a killing!" Mino walked toward the next room in high spirits. "Next stop! Oh!"

"Oh~!" Mia cheered, clutching Mino’s head and echoing him from her perch on his shoulders.

Reaching the next door, Mino didn't hesitate. *Bang!* He pushed it wide open! "New world, here I come!"

A surge of steam billowed out.

Cletina, who had just finished bathing, stood with glistening dew on her skin, her hair still half-damp. Her voice came through the steam, full of complaint: "Why did you run off in the middle of a bath? Just wait, I’m going to properly teach that demon—"

A cold breeze stopped her words in their tracks. Cletina’s curvaceous figure turned within the mist, her gaze locking onto the door that had been thrown wide open, and the stunned figure standing before it.

Mino stood frozen, his mouth twitching. *It really was a "door-opening" incident... Hello, new world.*

*BOOM!!!*

A violent burst of energy erupted. A moment later, a red-faced Cletina carried away a reluctant Mia, leaving behind the beaten-up Hero Mino, who stood there in despair, nearly crying.

"Hero... are we still going to continue exploring the Demon King’s Castle today?"

"What do you think?" Mino put away the keys, his face ashen. "Do you want me to risk my life?"

***

Deep within the Demon King’s Castle, the demon council meeting was underway.

Ghostly flames flickered to life. As soon as the meeting began, Swire couldn't wait to report the latest findings: "The plan was a great success, Prince Ota, he... eh?"

Swire quickly noticed something was wrong. "Lady Cletina, Lady Fim, has something... happened?" For some reason, both ladies had unusually strange expressions, and the atmosphere felt different.

"It is nothing," Cletina said, her face slightly flushed as she tapped the table to change the subject. "Continue your report, Swire."

"In any case... the blow dealt to Prince Ota was greater than we anticipated. He is currently bedridden and likely unable to handle the kingdom's affairs, let alone oversee the details of the Hero’s Awakening Ceremony."

Cletina smiled with satisfaction. "In that case, there are plenty of oversights and opportunities for us in the ceremony."

"Indeed, and next... hm? Wait." Swire’s ghost flame flickered violently, as if receiving a message. "How could this be?"

Swire’s voice sounded complicated. Cletina immediately sensed that this was new intelligence, and it didn't sound good. "What is it, Swire?"

"I apologize for the loss of composure, Secretary," Swire said, his ghost flames tightening. "I did not expect the humans to react so quickly."

"Just moments ago, a key figure capable of taking over the ceremony stepped forward and took the responsibility of presiding over the Hero’s Awakening Ceremony from Prince Ota."

"What? That’s impossible," Cletina said, slightly surprised.

There were few people with enough prestige and legitimate authority to intervene in this matter. Even Princess Kalia, as a royal, lacked the professional knowledge and power to take over such a vital task. Throughout the entire capital, and indeed the whole kingdom, there were only two people who fit the criteria.

One was the Saintess Liana of the Holy Cathedral, but she had been at the border defending against the demon offensive in Mino's stead, waiting for a chance to strike a heavy blow to the demon guard. That left only one candidate.

"The Chief of the Magic Circle Tower, Ang Rack? But haven't the Tower and the Kingdom always kept their distance, never interfering in royal duties?" Cletina never expected such a twist. The Magic Circle Tower was similar to the Adventurers' Guild or the Royal Academy; while close to the royals, they adhered to strict principles. Allowing those outside the royal system to have political standing would easily trigger instability. Moreover, Archmage Ang Rack was known for his gloomy temperament, preferring to bury himself in the tower to conduct research. That he would be willing to meddle in such affairs was truly incredible.

Swire was also unable to fathom it. After a moment of silence, he said, "It seems the capture of the Hero Mino has changed everyone around him."

With Archmage Rack, known as the "Morning Star of the Kingdom," presiding in Ota’s place, the situation was, in some ways, spiraling in an even worse direction.

"Perhaps, under Chief Rack, an even more powerful new Hero will be born."