Why must the devil be Defeated?

"I had hoped to keep you all for a few more days to express my gratitude for this time, but I didn't expect you to have to leave so soon."

Harvis, looking at Shane and his party standing before him, said this with a hint of wistfulness.

At this moment, Harvis was dressed in an extremely luxurious robe, as if donning an emperor's dragon robe, not only wearing a cloak but also holding a scepter, his bearing exuded an imperial charisma.

Yes.

Harvis had successfully ascended to the throne of the Ragna Empire, transforming from a mere prince into the Emperor.

Beside him, Cappelen was no longer dressed as a princess but like an upper-level Great Noble, adorned in a splendid dress.

Because Harvis had become Emperor, this Empire Princess who had not ascended to the imperial throne was naturally ennobled, becoming a Duchess of the Empire.

The two were no longer just prince and princess; they had become part of the Empire's decision-making tier.

Rocque and Tilly, on the other hand, appeared much the same as before.

But there was no doubt that both had made significant contributions and their status in the Empire was sure to skyrocket, their influence penetrating deep into the hearts of the Empire's populace.

Such changes were not a small matter.

After all, it was a shift in the governance of a nation, and not just any marginal country, but the Ragna Empire, the foremost military power in the Human Realm; a complete shift in its governance was a major piece of news that even the Divine World and Demon Realm could not ignore.

Unfortunately, the political change in the Empire paled in comparison to recent events; it was but a trifle.

As the source of everything, Shane could only scratch his head in annoyance.

"Do you think I wanted this? I'm just as confused now!"

Shane could only say that it wasn't that he was too busy, but that the ways of the world are unpredictable.

Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, his identity would be exposed, drawing the chase of the Demon Clan's army, and just as he was bracing for trouble from the Demon Clan, suddenly he was rumored to be entering a marriage alliance with a Demon?

Although, if the other party was Ai Yi, Shane was not completely against it.

After all, she was a girl who had been by his side, and during their time in the Elf Country, their relationship had almost been confirmed - just short of bringing her home to warm the bed; the so-called marriage alliance was just a matter of time.

However, the news came so suddenly that even Shane was baffled for an entire day, and he had to pursue the matter to confirm what was going on.

Therefore, Shane couldn't even manage to stay outside the law in the Imperial City now.

At that moment, Jiasinta spoke up.

"Master has already made contact, claiming that he is ready to welcome you to the Demon Realm at any time."

Jiasinta said this with great reluctance.

Moreover, he was glaring at Shane's back, as if he wanted to pounce on him and bite off a chunk of flesh, and had been visibly annoyed since yesterday.

Shane really wanted to take this as a taunt from the Violent Dragon and punch him in the face.

But he also knew that at this time, Jiasinta must be very upset.

Who would have thought that he would suddenly become his new master and son-in-law?

Serving a lord for thousands of years, and now without any warning, he announced his marriage – if it were someone else, they might have exploded by now.

Jiasinta had nearly exploded when he learned of this news yesterday.

If it wasn't for Shane's strength now being formidable enough not to be trifled with by Jiasinta, then probably, yesterday, Shane would have suffered quite a bit.

Of course, according to Shane's own words...

"Your fate as the outcast is sealed anyway, it makes no difference whether I have a marriage agreement with Ai Yi or not."

Shane turned his head and threw this line out, almost causing Jiasinta to burst with irritation.

Jiasinta could only glare hatefully at Shane before turning away his gaze, speaking no more.

On the other hand, Jesse and Lis who stood behind Jiasinta, had become even more hesitant to meet Shane's eyes, trying their best to reduce their presence.

The human who they once offended had not only become a Hero but also their lord's lord-to-be and fiancé, effectively becoming their superior; this change in relationship, if it were a light novel, would surely be a solid plot of showing off and face-slapping.

Fortunately, Shane had almost forgotten about this pair of Demon Clan twins, otherwise, with his capacity for holding grudges, it would be impossible not to scare them.

But now, Shane himself was too preoccupied to bother with such minor characters.

Shane's gaze swept over Cappelen, Rocque, and Tilly, finally landing on Harvis.

"Although it was sudden, our previous agreement has been fulfilled, right?"

Shane said to Harvis.

"Yes," Harvis nodded, smiling, "Despite the many mistakes along the way, my luck has been very good. The person I asked for help turned out to be the current Hero, who ultimately helped us turn the tide, eliminate Moro, and allowed me to ascend to the throne smoothly. I owe a rather large debt of gratitude."

Cappelen chimed in with Harvis's words.

"I owe you a huge favor too," she said to Shane with a certain seriousness, "I will never forget the life-saving grace."

She was, of course, referring to Shane rescuing her from the dungeon.

Others, too, had received Shane's help in varying degrees.

"There's no need to speak of the victory in the battle; Sir, for pushing back the Renitra Family and Sarilo on behalf of the Bicsler Family, winning us the chance to turn the tables, I, Rocque Bicsler, will keep this firmly in my heart."

Rocque expressed his gratitude solemnly.

"..."

Tilly merely looked at Shane, her eyes complex.

Tilly had indeed gone through a myriad of emotions regarding Shane.

First, she was shaken by his identity as a Kingdom Noble, then found it hard to accept that he was a Legendary-level warrior at such a young age, only to discover in the end that these were but child's play.

In the end, he wasn't just a young Legendary-level Kingdom Noble but also the Hero who returned after a thousand years, and in a dramatic twist, became betrothed to a Dragon Demon – a twist so dramatic it couldn't be more so.

Frankly speaking, Tilly had never experienced such emotional tumult for any man in her life.

Even during this process, Tilly had once developed some unusual feelings.

Regrettably, these unusual feelings were nipped in the bud before they could flourish and were ruthlessly pulled out.

Because Tilly was very clear that the man before her was not someone she could hope for, let alone a match for her.

The vast distance made Tilly realize reality and quickly extinguished the peculiar emotions in her heart.

Now, as she watched Shane leave, Tilly couldn't help feeling a mix of emotions.

It could only be said that fate played tricks; even Shane was unaware that he almost planted a flag.

Thus, Shane shook his head at everyone.

"Let's just say it was a mutual need; it wasn't a favor. I cannot deny I have gained a lot too, so none of us owe each other," Shane shrugged his shoulders, smiled at Harvis, and said, "Of course, don't forget our agreement, okay?"

In the future, the Empire would provide unconditional support to Shane in secret, which was the agreed-upon compensation.

With this compensation, it was true that no one owed anyone anything.

Harvis was naturally aware of this.

"Don't worry, I swore on my own blessing; I cannot break it," Harvis said with a wry smile. "I will try to speed up the reconstruction of the Imperial City so that the Empire's order can be restored, to prepare for the future."

There was no doubt that this preparation was for Shane.

If Shane ultimately had to go to war with the Demon Clan, then as his secret supporter, the Empire would definitely be the first to stand out.

"Additionally..." Harvis turned in Tielle's direction and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to consider staying in the Empire?"

Harvis extended an invitation to Tielle.

There was no other reason.

"The Leferut Family has fallen, but you possess a part of the Leferut bloodline, and the Leferut Family also shares some blood with our Royal Family. Therefore, strictly speaking, you could be considered part of our Imperial Family," Harvis had previously addressed Tielle. "Your status in the Kingdom is not high, even marginalized, so why not stay here? With our support, it wouldn't be impossible to rebuild a place for the Leferut Family."

Clearly, Harvis valued Tielle's talents as well as her lineage.

However, Tielle rejected the offer without hesitation.

"I am, after all, a person of the Kingdom," Tielle stated indifferently. "In the Kingdom, my companions are waiting for my return."

"Very well," Harvis didn't insist, saying, "The Empire's gates will always be open to you, and you're welcome to change your mind at any moment."

Upon hearing this, Tielle did not respond further, leaving it uncertain whether she accepted the offer in silence or felt no need to reply.

"Then, we're off."

Shane was quite direct, picking up the clinging Lilith in one arm and naturally taking Lasha by hand.

"Hey!"

Laischa, who had been boredly watching the spectacle for a long time, voiced a protest.

"..."

Lasha glanced at the hand Shane held hers with and remained silent.

This situation led Harvis and others to exchange looks and caused Jiasinta's eyes to twitch uncontrollably.

Without a doubt, these people were aware of the origins of Laischa and Lasha.

As high-ranking members of their factions, it was normal for them to be informed about the backgrounds of Laischa and Lasha.

Shane, now aware of these servants' origins, wasn't surprised by everyone's reactions anymore.

But he carried on as if he hadn't noticed anything, and called out towards the horizon.

"Come on! You Lin!"

The call resounded far and wide, reaching high into the sky.

Soon after, a dragon's roar descended from the heavens.

"Roar!"

Accompanied by the roar, a giant dragon's shadow emerged from the clouds, swooping down, and came into everyone's view.

Jiasinta, already very concerned about You Lin, immediately looked up upon hearing the noise.

And with that look, Jiasinta's eyes widened.

"Limit Level...!?"

Jiasinta exclaimed in shock and delight.

Shane paid him no mind.

"Let's go!"

In an instant, Shane, holding Lilith and leading Lasha by the hand, used Instant Movement and appeared on You Lin's back.

Tielle promptly leaped up, landing on You Lin's back, with Laischa following through a Space Transfer, teeth gritted with frustration.

"Wait...!"

It was only then that Jiasinta reacted, quickly pulling Jesse and Lis along to jump onto the dragon's back.

"Roar!"

You Lin seemed somewhat displeased, twisting its body, and finally started to flap its Dragon Wings reluctantly, rising slowly.

After a while, with a powerful beat of its wings, You Lin took off flying towards the distance.

Harvis and the others kept their gaze fixed on You Lin's departure, remaining lost in their thoughts for a long time.