Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

517  Rubella Plains - The Unwelcome Princess

Not long after flying through the air, Xavida pointed out people along the trail to the mines. "Look, it's the villagers!"

She spoke with a voice full of enthusiasm, but for Asura who saw the villagers faces, he couldn't help but feel complicated at the sight. 'Why do they look so glum and strange?' He thought.

Their bodies lowering with the flutter of his wings, reaching just under the clouds, soaring through the skies towards the mineral deposit in the mountains.

A site so massive that even if all the villagers who live in the basin gathered, there would be plenty of space left over.

"Wow~ it's so beautiful."

Enchanting gemstones shaped like stalactites and stalagmites spread from the ground and grew from the ceiling inside the cave. Bright colours all created by the many dragons of the distant past, family, and tradition coming together as Xavida's cheeks puffed out. "I'm going to spread my breath, hehe."

Thankfully, the villagers would only enter this part of the mineral deposit first thing in the morning. Asura also scanned the cave system to endure nobody was inside. He wouldn't want his beloved dragoness to accidentally melt her people. "Make sure it's your best." Asura held her body in the air, her lovely mouth sucking in the surrounding Mana, a mixture of all the dragons of the past swirling around and fusing with her breath. This is why the dragons could create such wonderful displays and miracles. WOOSH!

A beautiful white flame burst from her lips, Xavida's lungs shrinking as she expelled her massive flames that crackled with a purple lightning. This caused the gemstones and minerals to create a beautiful melody, like a xylophone, each time her breath touched them. BZT!

Xavida eventually reached her limit, and with a sudden crackle, there was a transformation in the cave. The spot where she released her breath now contained hundreds, maybe thousands, of the most beautiful translucent white jewels with a purple streak, like lightning, running through them.

"Oh~ I feel so dizzy." She muttered, drooping back against Asura's chest.

Suddenly, the energy inside the cave resonated. Blue, red, black, and even golden gemstones and minerals made different sounds, creating a song that almost seemed to be welcoming Xavida's white diamonds.

"But doesn't it look pretty?" Asura's hands held her tight, while slowly flapping his wings.

Normally, such a big disturbance might call other humans closer, so he was on guard in case they suddenly turned up and might have caused an issue. But thankfully, it seemed that nobody was going to trouble them.

"Mm… they are pretty." Xavida really seemed to be exhausted.

Asura never really tried to create a dragon breath to the limit before. Though it seemed to have taken a lot out of her. "What about yours, quick before other people come." She grabbed his hand gently, while glancing up at him.

"Me?"

'Well, it might be interesting.'

However, his fire was not fused with both his phoenix flames, wouldn't this cause the previous dragons to feel disgraced, he wondered. But the sparkling eyes of Xavida who clung to his chest removed such thoughts, and instead he let out a sigh and took a deep breath.

"Hehe~ are you really going to do it?" She asked, as he nodded back, the swirl of Mana in the cave caused his chest to ache slightly, a dull pain spreading through him, a sigh of the immense weight and level of magic density in this cavern. "Hehe, ah! Don't use it on my crystals." Xavida puffed her cheeks, as she snuggled against Asura's chest. 'What kind of fool would do that…' he thought to himself, before aiming at the black crystals that seemed to have been ignored for a long time.

"Black reminds me of you, if only there was a little red. It would be perfect."

Xavida's words made his heart skip a beat, and suddenly, the Mana from inside the cave seemed to respond. Even though Asura didn't really want to use his fire. He couldn't help but do so now. VWOOM!

The first fire, which had a mix of white and black. As it approached the wall of the cave, the flame transformed, splitting in half. A white flame, and a black flame. Both of them quickly combined into one, and with a thunderous crash, it landed on the wall of the cave.

The entire cavern shook, and a low hum resounded through it as the cave responded. Xavida could only stare with her mouth wide open, looking at her lover in shock.

'Such a powerful flame, even more than fathers…' She thought to herself, a slight blush coming to her cheeks.

This time, a new black gem was added to the cave, one that was a little smaller than the size of an adult male's fist.

Then around the gemstone, the rocks split, and revealing the glistening appearance of hundreds and thousands of similar gems, but much smaller, and with a tinge of red inside them, like a little misshapen dot, almost like a heart.

"Phew."

Asura exhaled, the pressure on his chest gone, but the feeling of being breathless and with the searing heat lingering inside his mouth, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. "How is it, do you like my gems?"

"Nn, they are pretty."

Xavida nodded. But it wasn't just her. From the outside of the cave, many villagers who seemed to have become interested also peeked inside.

'They came, after all, are they of sane minds?' Asura thought to himself, before shaking his head and changing his mind.

'I'll do whatever Xavida wants.'

11:27

"Shall we go outside now, Xavida?"

Asura didn't feel welcomed by the people.

In fact, their mutters stated otherwise, as if wanting the pair to leave, despite her being the rightful heiress and princess of their empire.

"Who needs outsiders… they should just leave."

"Isn't that the traitor princess?"

"Tsk, that's why we don't need dragons in the demon empire."

'What's going on?' He wondered, while gazing down at Xavida, who seemed unaffected by their harsh words.

"What is going on here? What are all these villagers doing?"

The demon general asked, before the sound of his cane tapping echoed out. Xavida glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He had been following the villagers to ensure their safety.

When he noticed many people were heading toward the mine. He followed them, only to see the disgraced princess and her companion hovering in the sky above them.

"We are here to dig up metal, your honour." A villager replied.

"Is it not too late for mining? Shouldn't you be heading back to your homes?" He asked again.

"Your honour, please allow us to continue mining for the night shift." An old man with a bent back said as the general frowned, confused.

"You people do know what day it is today? Why did you all suddenly decide to start mining in the evening? Are you plotting a rebellion against our true emperor?" The demon general snapped back with twisted logic.

"O-Of course not, my lord!"

"These outsiders did it on their own."

Xavida frowned at their interaction.

Even though the villagers pointed their fingers at her and pushed her away, she seemed concerned about them.

Asura noticed the demon general, who had a small group of people following behind him.

"Huh, this demon seems strange." Xavida whispered to him.

"What do you mean, is he also being controlled?"

"No, we have met once, but I don't know much about him, but his name is general Lazar, he worked under my father and didn't have such an inferior position. Why is he here in the basin, for someone who worked so hard like him?"

The general who heard her whispering turned his gaze to Xavida, a bitter smile showing on his face, as he ushered away the villagers, who slowly dispersed. But the general's eyes never left the princess.

His initial look of rejection and distrust vanished once the villagers left the area. He then turned and lowered himself to Xavida, giving a polite and respectful bow.

"Princess Xavida, is that right?" Lazar asked.

"It is good to see you well."

He seemed to be happy, almost elated, while the others behind him copied his actions. Some were villagers, but most of them wore cheap makeshift armour, like a town watch or militia.

"We have been waiting eagerly for your return to us." @@novelbin@@

'It seems I was wrong… there are some who still remember their true ruler after all.' Asura thought to himself as the general slowly stood.

"Because of the strange actions of the Regent, the people have also become abnormal. It's started to affected even the basin, which was loyal only to the previous emperor and his daughter."

Xavida and Asura gazed at each other, realising this might be an issue bigger than they thought.