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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Ruby
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The Seal Clan.
[Levian].
The Seal Clan had a total of 32 members.
And among them, only 10 bloodline awakeners possessed the power of [Engraving].
While the Great Demon King Family─the Berzet Family publicly maintained that they had formed an alliance with the Levian and Berzet families, in reality, it was no different from being an enslaved clan.
The 10 Levian bloodline awakeners who had awakened the Engraving ability couldn’t take a single step outside the vast territory provided by the Berzet family.
They maintained strict surveillance at all times to prevent them from going outside.
And the remaining 22 non-bloodline ability awakeners were all forcibly married to second and third-tier demon race members of the Berzet family.
It was called marriage, but it was no different from rape.
The non-awakened members were essentially being held hostage to prevent the 10 bloodline ability awakeners from betraying them.
The Seal Clan Levian was a prestigious demon realm family that had achieved the status of [Demon King Family] before going to war with the Great Demon King Family Berzet 250 years ago.
Such a prestigious demon realm family had fallen to become a lowly slave clan.
Something was being engraved on the back of Jeimel, the youngest daughter of the Great Demon King Family Berzet.
It was a Engraving that flickered faintly with blue-green light.
The one creating this Engraving was the outstretched right palm of a young girl.
The clan member performing the Engraving on Jeimel’s back was Yuren, the youngest direct bloodline member who had awakened the bloodline ability.
Jeimel, who had purple skin and orange eyes, slowly opened her mouth.
“This seal was the Engraving of strength, right? Yuren.”
Jeimel’s voice could have been interpreted as genuinely kind.
“Yes… Lady Jeimel.”
Yuren answered quietly while engraving the circular rune characters.
Yuren focused on properly completing the Engraving.
“Why can’t Yuren create higher seals like the [Engraving of lightning] or the [Engraving of steel]?”
Yuren’s eyes shook violently.
Yuren knew.
She knew that what Jeimel was building up now was a vile and sinister justification to torment her.
Jeimel’s low voice burrowed into Yuren’s ear.
“I know, I know. That only your great clan head can create such top-tier engravings. And that only the Great Demon King and the Crown Prince can receive the clan head’s engravings.”
Shortly after, Yuren’s palm lifted from Jeimel’s back.
“Ten years ago… and today, this is the second time I’ve received an engraving from you, Yuren.”
A clan member who had awakened the Engraving bloodline could use engraving arts once every 10 years.
The cooldown was 10 years.
Jeimel whipped her brown hair as she suddenly approached Yuren.
“Hmm, the marked power manifests the moment one decides to use it…”
Jeimel pinched Yuren’s snow-white right arm with her index finger and thumb.
Despite the intense pain rising from her arm, Yuren showed no change in expression.
It was an effort not to provoke the anger of Jeimel, a 20-year-old female demon who was the same age as her.
“Then, if I make that decision now, your arm would be torn off, wouldn’t it, Yuren?”
The silver eyes beneath Yuren’s golden hair shook violently.
Jeimel laughed mischievously.
“Just kidding, just kidding.”
Jeimel removed her index finger and thumb that had been strongly pinching Yuren’s arm.
The pinch had been so strong that it left a red mark where it had dug into the skin.
Yuren showed no reaction to the stinging pain.
She had learned painfully over the past 10 years that the more she showed reactions to pain, the more cruelly Jeimel would violate her.
Jeimel’s eyes traced a thin crescent.
“Ah, I prepared a gift for Yuren whom I’m meeting after so long today.”
Jeimel pulled something out of an old brown pouch.
It was black insects.
They were corpses of black insects that resembled centipedes.
There were over a dozen of these insect corpses.
“Ah─yes, these are Karm bugs, nutritious and savory insects. A gift I prepared especially for Yuren.”
Jeimel smiled maliciously.
“You must chew them thoroughly. All of them, without leaving any.”
Jeimel lifted the pouch and scattered them in front of Yuren.
Yuren looked at the Karm insects scattered on the ground with trembling eyes.
“Not eating?”
SLAP!
Jeimel’s open right palm struck Yuren’s cheek hard.
Yuren’s head whipped to the side.
Her platinum blonde hair and upper body staggered.
It was a pain as if her face had been clawed.
Her lip was already half split.
A metallic smell permeated her mouth.
“Is it so difficult for a bug to eat other bugs?”
Jeimel’s chilling voice seeped into Yuren’s ears.
“If you don’t eat those, I’ll just die? Hmm? The death pact─if Jeimel’s heart stops, Yuren’s heart stops too. Every time I think about it, it’s so romantic and fateful. Of course, your death wouldn’t stop my heart though. Heheh.”
Jeimel covered her mouth with her right hand and spoke like a shy girl.
The Great Demon King Berzet’s arrangement for complete control over the Seal Clan was simple.
It was placing death pacts linking the 10 members who awakened the Engraving power with the direct bloodline members of the Berzet family.
That was the reason why the Seal Clan couldn’t even think about rebellion.
“Not eating? Hmm?”
Jeimel created a needle-like demonic energy at the tip of her long nail and stabbed Yuren’s snow-white arm.
Stab! Stab!
“Kyaaah!”
Blood flowed out.
“I’ll eat… I’ll eat.”
Yuren knelt on the ground.
Then she picked up the demon realm insects, the Karm that looked exactly like centipedes, and ate them.
Chomp…
One.
Chomp… Crunch…
Two.
She had to chew and swallow a total of eleven Karm like that.
Her self-esteem was dragged down to rock bottom.
Her already worn-down mind now trembled at its limit.
“Hehe, very well done.”
The twenty-year-old demon, the youngest daughter of Great Demon King Berzet, Jeimel, said with a girlish laugh.
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“Yuma, no matter how confident you are. If you approach this simply trying to kill Great Demon King Berzet, even if you succeed in killing Berzet, there’s a possibility you won’t be able to fully achieve what you want from the Seal Clan.”
The Great Demon King Lilith, known as the [Master of All Flames], gave advice to Yuma while her bright yellow eyes glowed.
“Because there’s no way Berzet wouldn’t have placed some kind of pact on the members of the Seal Clan who can use the Engraving power. For instance, he might have placed a death attribution pact that would make all the Seal Clan members’ hearts burst if he dies. Though he probably wouldn’t have made such a crude pact. There’s a high chance he placed a similar pact. For example, there’s a possibility he linked their lives with his direct descendants.”
Yuma agreed with Lilith’s words.
“That’s what I think too.”
Therefore, if they could make contact with the Seal Clan beforehand, that would be the best choice.
“I will prepare a way for you to make contact with the head of the Seal Clan. We plan to depart tomorrow morning.”
“Understood.”
The night was deep.
Yuma and Bell were lying on one bed.
Although Lilith had said with a laugh that she could provide two rooms, even though Lilith had offered to help Yuma.
This was still the demon realm.
It was right to minimize risk factors as much as possible.
“-Just trust me and sleep well, Master. I will wake you immediately if anything happens.”
The conscious Sword would keep watch.
Fortunately, the bed was quite wide, so there was no need to be close to each other.
Bell glanced to the side and unconsciously swallowed.
She understood that they were keeping their distance out of consideration for each other, to avoid any discomfort, but somehow it felt quite regrettable.
‘No… stop these improper thoughts.’
Bell pulled the blanket up to her neck with these thoughts.
After calming her heart for a moment, she slowly turned her head right toward Yuma.
“You said this trip to the demon realm was for you to become stronger, right?”
Yuma also turned his head to look at Bell.
Bell’s pink eyes were faintly visible.
“Yes.”
“The reason why you, who’s already incredibly strong, want to become even stronger is because of the other evil gods that might come down besides Increnew, right?”
“That’s right.”
Yuma had explained before.
That there was a chance that some other evil gods similar to the god Increnew whom he killed might target the middle realm.
“…The evil god who appeared before us on our way back from the city, possessing the nun’s body. You said including that one, there were seven, right?”
“Yes.”
Brigitte, Cloney, Hestia and Bell.
To these four people who could undoubtedly be called Yuma’s people, he had revealed everything.
Although he added that it was a prediction to minimize their worry.
“I’m sorry, Yuma.”
Bell suddenly felt very strong self-loathing and helplessness.
Even now, thinking about the god Increnew’s power, [Termination], that world of darkness made her spine chill.
Even though she had reached the human peak of Grand Master, she didn’t think she could cut through that world of darkness.
“For not being able to help much.”
Yuma looked at Bell’s downcast pink eyes.
“Don’t break down. Among the words I told you that day, not a single thing has changed.”
Bell seemed to know which day Yuma was talking about without having to hear the details.
He must be talking about what he said on the day he killed the god Increnew.
“-You will become a greater swordsman than me.”
Bell smiled brightly.
“…I still can’t imagine myself achieving what you said.”
“Believe it, because I said it.”
Bell opened her eyes wide.
“Yes, I will. I should believe what my lord says…”
Bell repeated those words to herself.
Even if she couldn’t believe in herself.
She had decided to believe everything Yuma said.
“Now, let’s put aside our worries and sleep.”
“Yes, good night Yuma.”
Even after saying those words, Bell stared intently at Yuma for a while with a faint smile before slowly turning her head.
And then she closed her eyes.
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