Chapter – 57 – The Reinforcement
"Judging by your faces," Lucien said, his voice calm, almost bored, "I arrived at the perfect moment."
Delian's breath caught in her throat. Relief washed over her like a tidal wave, and despite the chaos surrounding them, a genuine smile spread across her face. There he was—the man who had become so much more than a casual encounter. The man who had somehow woven himself into the fabric of her existence.
Lucien raised his finger, pointing casually at the Shadow Scale Dragon as if it were nothing more than a bothersome insect.
"Black Sun Annihilation."
A black orb materialized in front of his fingertip—small at first, then expanding rapidly, pulsing with dark energy that seemed to devour the very light around it. The orb shot forward, slamming into the dragon's chest with devastating force.
The Shadow Scale Dragon roared in agony, black blood spewing from its maw like a volcanic eruption. Its massive body was hurled hundreds of meters away, crashing through buildings and trees before finally slamming into the ground. The earth trembled from the impact.
The dragon lay flat, its body broken and battered. Slowly, painfully, it raised its head, its red eyes wide with shock and fear.
Lucien floated in the air above it, his hands clasped behind his back, his golden eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. His face was expressionless—no smile, no amusement, no emotion whatsoever. He looked down at the creature with absolute indifference, as if the dragon was beneath his notice entirely.
The black sky began to fade.
Sunlight broke through the darkness, streaming down in a single golden beam that illuminated Lucien like a divine figure descending from heaven. The contrast was stark—the shadows retreating, the light embracing him, making him appear almost godlike.
Lirael watched, her spear still in hand, her heart pounding in her chest. She had seen many powerful warriors in her years as a royal guard, but this... this was something else entirely.
Callista was on her knees, still gasping for breath from the exhaustion of her earlier attacks. She looked up at Lucien with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Delian's heart fluttered wildly. She couldn't believe this was the same man she had shared a bed with—the same man who had whispered wicked promises in her ear, who had touched her with such intimacy and passion.
Is this really the same Lucien?
Lucien raised his hand again, pointing at the dragon once more. This time, millions of swords materialized around him—blades of every size and shape, shimmering with golden light. They filled the sky like a storm of steel, and in the blink of an eye, they descended upon the Shadow Scale Dragon.
The creature screamed one final time as countless swords pierced its body from every angle. Because Lucien possessed the Primordial Vein Heart, every attack struck the soul itself. The dragon's physical form was destroyed, but more importantly, its very existence was being erased.
When the onslaught ended, the dragon looked like a lizard impaled by millions of toothpicks. Its body was riddled with wounds, black blood pooling beneath it. Finally, it fell still—truly dead this time.
Lirael stared at the carnage, then turned to Delian. "Lady Delian," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "who is this man?"
A proud smile spread across Delian's face. "The reinforcement."
Lucien descended from the sky, landing gracefully on the ground. His hands were still clasped behind his back, his golden eyes now returning to their normal color. A familiar smile played at the corners of his lips—the same playful, almost teasing expression Delian had grown accustomed to.
He walked toward her as if he hadn't just obliterated a creature from the underworld. As if it were just another Tuesday.
"Did you miss me?" he asked, his voice light and teasing.
Delian felt her cheeks flush despite herself. "I would be lying if I said I didn't."
Lucien's smile widened. He turned his attention to Callista, who was still struggling to catch her breath. "Callista," he said gently, "are you okay?"
Callista blinked in confusion. "You know me? I'm sorry, I don't recognize you."
Lucien chuckled softly. "Really?" He stepped closer, his golden eyes meeting hers with warmth.
Callista studied his face, her brow furrowing. Then recognition dawned. "Wait... is that you, Lucien?"
"Yeah."
"I didn't recognize you!" Callista exclaimed, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "You look so different! I wanted to meet you, but then I found out my family had made enemies of the Vale family and the Alde family..."
Lucien's expression softened. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and pulled Callista into a warm embrace. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I killed your brothers. But I had no choice."
Callista hugged him back, her arms wrapping around his broad shoulders. "I know. I'm sorry too. I heard what they tried to do to you, and I'm ashamed to even call them my brothers."
Lirael watched the exchange with curiosity. "You two know each other?"
"Yeah," Callista said, pulling back from the embrace. "We used to play together when we were children. But I had to join the Church, so I left home. I never saw anyone from my past again after that."
Lirael nodded slowly. Then she straightened her posture and bowed deeply, her silver armor gleaming in the returning sunlight. "Forgive my rudeness—I haven't introduced myself properly. I'm Lirael, a royal guard who handles border matters. And I want to express my deepest gratitude to you, Senior, for saving so many lives today. Truly, I'm glad you were here."
Lucien waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry. I'm also a citizen of this country. I just happened to be here—anyone would have done the same."
Lirael shook her head firmly. "No. No one does that. If I'm not mistaken, Senior is also the champion of Princess Sylvie?"
Lucien raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. And please, just call me Lucien."
Lirael smiled warmly. "Ah, I knew it! I've never seen you before, but the way people describe you is quite accurate." Her eyes sparkled with admiration. "The mysterious champion who appears out of nowhere and destroys everything in his path."
Lucien chuckled. "I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult."
"Definitely a compliment," Lirael assured him.
Lucien's expression turned serious. "By the way, who was behind the Shadow Scale Dragon?"
Lirael's jaw tightened. "Judging by the situation, it seems to be from the Mordric family. And I will make sure they pay for this atrocity."
"You don't have to worry about that anymore," Delian interjected, stepping forward. "I'll capture them myself. Now that the Shadow Scale Dragon is dead, they won't be able to mount another attack." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "What you should investigate is who gave them a demonic artifact powerful enough to destroy the country."
Lirael's eyes widened. "Gave them?"
"Yes," Delian confirmed. "Callista herself told me about this."
Callista nodded weakly. "Lady Delian is right. My father received the artifact from someone outside the family. Someone who might want to destroy the entire country."
Lirael's expression hardened. "This is a very serious matter. I will bring this to my father and the Emperor. Whoever is behind this attack will not escape unharmed."
Lucien placed a protective hand on Callista's shoulder. "Lady Callista is a member of the Mordric family and the daughter of Lord Mordric, but she has nothing to do with this. She almost lost her life trying to kill that dragon. I don't want her to face any consequences for her family's crimes."
Callista looked up at him with affectionate eyes, her heart swelling at his words.
Lirael nodded firmly. "Don't worry, Sir Lucien. Nothing will happen to her."
Delian stepped forward, her tone brooking no argument. "Until everything is resolved, Callista will live in the Alde mansion. There's a chance people might try to kill you for betraying the Mordric family to help us, and I won't hear any objections."
Callista smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Lady Delian. I accept."
"Since everything is settled here, I should go," Lirael said, glancing toward her soldiers. "My men need me."
Lucien and Delian stood together, gazing at the massive corpse of the Shadow Scale Dragon. The creature's body was already beginning to dissolve, returning to the shadow realm from whence it came.
"What are you planning to do with that?" Lucien asked.
"You killed it," Delian replied. "You can do whatever you want with it. I don't think it's wise to take it."
Lucien shook his head. "I think you should take it and refine it. Who knows—you might get something interesting out of it."
Delian blinked in surprise. "Are you sure?"
Lucien stepped closer, his hand snaking around her waist and pulling her against him. His voice dropped to a low, intimate murmur. "My sneaky viper, I think it's time you break through to the Peak Spirit Forge Realm. I don't want my Delian to be weak." His hand slid lower, cupping her rear with familiar possessiveness. "So yes, I'm sure. And if you really want to pay me back..."
Delian's breath hitched, her body responding instinctively to his touch. "How about this?" he continued, his thumb tracing small circles against her.
A delicious shiver ran down Delian's spine. "I would love to do this, my wicked beast," she whispered, "but I'm afraid I'm truly busy right now. As for the breakthrough—don't worry. With this dragon, I'm sure no one can stop me."
She leaned closer, her lips brushing against his ear. "Now I have to go. As for payment..." Her voice dropped to a sultry whisper. "I'll pay you fully next time. In my bedroom."
Delian pulled back, a wicked smile on her face, and walked away toward her soldiers without looking back. Lucien watched her go, a lazy smile playing on his lips.
[Vale Mansion - Dining Hall]
Rena Vale walked into the grand dining hall of the Vale mansion, her frustration barely concealed beneath a mask of pleasant composure. It had been two days since her arrival, and she still hadn't seen Lucien. Two days of waiting, two days of wondering, two days of her carefully laid plans gathering dust.
But she wasn't entirely discouraged. Tomorrow, Lucien would be at the Royal Arena as Princess Sylvie's champion. She would see him then. She would make him remember.
She greeted Lady Vale and Lord Vale with practiced politeness, then exchanged pleasantries with Liley and Rosebeth Vale before taking her seat. The dining table was lavish, laden with dishes that would have made her salivate under different circumstances.
"So, Aria," Rena said, turning to the youngest Vale daughter, "when will the Astral Academy start?"
"For the new batch," Aria replied, her eyes lighting up with curiosity, "it'll start next week. But why do you want to know? Could it be related to Brother Lucien?"
Rena hesitated, caught off guard by the directness of the question. "No, it's just... I haven't seen Lucien, and it's already been two days. I thought he would be here when he has to go to the Astral Academy."
Aria tilted her head. "Yeah, he's really busy nowadays. But I thought you didn't like Brother Lucien?"
Rena's cheeks flushed slightly. "N-No, it's not like that! We were children, so we fought a lot. I don't think there are any problems between us now."
Aria's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Could it be that you like him?"
"Of course not!" Rena protested, a little too quickly. "It's just that whenever I used to come here, Lucien would wait for me. But this time, it's different..."
Aria smiled knowingly but said nothing.
Then, suddenly, the air in the dining room grew heavy. A new presence had entered—a familiar energy that made Aria's smile widen and brought a knowing glint to Lady Vale's eyes.
Rena felt it too. Her heart lurched in her chest, a confusing mixture of anticipation and anxiety flooding her senses.
She turned toward the entrance, her breath catching in her throat.
Lucien stood in the doorway, his golden hair slightly disheveled from the battle he had just fought. His clothes were immaculate, however—not a single wrinkle or speck of dirt marred his appearance. He looked as if he had just returned from a pleasant stroll rather than a battle against a creature from the underworld.
"Lucien," Lady Vale said warmly, a proud smile on her face, "are you going to join us for dinner?"
Author Note:
If you'd like to support the novel and read ahead, my Patreon is linked below. Thank you for reading!
/cw/thenoctvale