(3rd Person POV)
The room fell into silence as the royal family processed Apollonia's request.
King Luke and Queen Lily's expressions remained unreadable, but it was clear they didn't like what they had just heard. The princes and princesses, on the other hand, had mixed reactions.
Azazel maintained a composed expression, but inwardly, he felt the weight of the moment. The atmosphere was tense, and it was obvious that the family held deep resentment toward Arthur.
He understood why. In their younger years, Arthur had been weak, untalented, and a stain on the family's reputation. But now, Arthur was no longer someone to be dismissed. He had become powerful—not in the way their family traditionally valued, through magic or combat prowess, but in the financial world.
There was no logical reason to be on Arthur's bad side. At least, that's what Azazel believed as the crown prince. From both a familial and political standpoint, maintaining a good relationship with Arthur would be beneficial.
"Sister, have you forgotten?" Lucy's voice was sharp and cold. "Arthur is no longer your brother. He even abandoned the Morningstar name and now calls himself Pendragon."
Bobby, despite his usual clashes with Lucy, agreed with her for once. "Exactly. He may be a great businessman with billions to his name, but he's still a disgrace to our family."
Arnold simply adjusted his glasses, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, while Azazel sighed, shaking his head. His siblings' views were so simplistic, so narrow.
Queen Lily cleared her throat, her tone gentle but firm. "That's right, my dear. Arthur is a stranger to us now," she said, as if she were explaining something obvious. "You can't just invite him."
Apollonia pouted, frustration flashing in her eyes. "But it's my wedding," she argued. "And didn't you just say I could invite anyone I wanted?"
A flicker of awkwardness crossed Queen Lily's face. She had indeed said that. Taking a step toward Apollonia, she took her hand and softened her tone.
"I did say that… but there are exceptions." Her voice was patient, measured. "Do you understand what inviting Arthur would mean? It would send a message to the world that our family is bending to his influence, acknowledging his wealth."
She sighed, shaking her head. "And that is something we cannot afford to do—"
Before she could finish, King Luke cut in.
"Let her invite whoever she wants, Lily."
His voice was steady, leaving no room for debate.
Queen Lily turned to him in surprise. "But my king—"
"It's my decision," he said firmly, shutting down any further argument.
Silence gripped the room.
The others exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued. Why would King Luke allow this?
Apollonia's eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. "Really?!"
King Luke nodded with authority.
"Thank you!" Apollonia ran toward him and embraced him, momentarily startling even the King himself.
Azazel watched the exchange, deep in thought.
Something had shifted. His father's stance had changed—but why? What was he thinking?
Azazel thought about it for a moment before concluding that his father likely shared the same perspective as him—maintaining a good relationship with Arthur was the logical choice.
Arthur was simply too wealthy, too influential, particularly in entertainment and media.
While Arthur might not be useful in combat or magic, and his magical abilities were nowhere near Azazel's or even Arnold's, he still held power in his own way.
Azazel glanced at his mother. Lily's expression was cold, her disapproval obvious.
Lucy and Bobby wore similar displeased expressions, both clearly against the idea of Arthur's invitation.
Azazel inwardly snorted at their narrow-mindedness.
His fingers idly brushed against the mechanical box he had brought back from the Nether Realm—an intricate device of gears and sliding panels, something only a true mechanical genius could decipher.
He had intended to gift it to Arthur upon returning from his journey, believing that only Arthur, with his dwarf-like mechanical mind, could truly appreciate it.
But he never got the chance.
By the time he returned, Arthur had already been exiled.
The last time he saw his brother was at the Alicorn Auction, a small pocket world that was vast and teeming with influential and powerful figures.
Even then, he never approached him—nor did he have the will to.
But perhaps now, with Arthur being invited to the wedding, he might finally get the chance to give him the gift.
After all, Arthur was a genius with machines.
And if anyone could unlock the secrets of the Nether Realm artifact, it was him.
---
At the Horn Kingdom, Yoda had now spent three days in this world, using his time to understand the world around him.
Thanks to the summoning spell's power, he had been granted the ability to comprehend the local language—and even a few ancient and lost dialects of Anatolia.
Through this, he had learned about the Three Known Gods and their religions, as well as the existence of the Four Races.
And so far, everything Arthur had told him about demons appeared to be true.
To Yoda's eyes, demons were indeed demonized by the dominant religions, particularly the Solarus Faith.
Though he could see why.
History told of a cruel Demon King who, four hundred years ago, had waged merciless wars, massacred other races, and sought to conquer everything.
However, Yoda understood something about history and power.
The past was often written by the victors.
There was a possibility that the story had been exaggerated—or even fabricated as propaganda.
But the truth?
That was something lost to time.
What Yoda could confirm was the present.
And in the present, demons were no different from any other race.
They were civilized, living alongside humans, elves, and dwarves.
Whatever they once were—monsters, tyrants, conquerors—was not what they were now.
The demons of this world were simply living their lives, much like the humans in Yoda's own universe.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Yoda strolled along the sidewalk, his sharp eyes observing the bustling city streets. Demons walked past him, chatting, shopping, and going about their day as if nothing were unusual.
To Yoda, this was a world like any other, where people simply lived their lives—regardless of race.
However, his unusual appearance did not go unnoticed.
Passersby whispered and pointed, some out of curiosity, others with amusement.
"Is someone experimenting on race-breeding again? Look at him—he looks like an elf, goblin, dwarf, imp, and hobbit all mashed together."
A few bystanders snickered, while others watched with puzzled expressions.
For a brief moment, he became the center of attention.
Yet Yoda remained unbothered, his expression unreadable.
He cared little for the minds of the ignorant.
Without acknowledging the murmurs, he continued his calm stride toward the Hellfire Park entrance.
This, however, only attracted more attention.
"Wait, look at that ugly guy—he's heading into Hellfire Park."
"Is he a relative of Imkrag?"
"Maybe."
More curious glances followed, and among the growing crowd, a few reporters raised their cameras, snapping photos of the peculiar figure.
None of them knew who or what he was, but speculation spread quickly.
The only thing remotely familiar about him was his short stature, leading some to speculate that he might be related to Imkrag
But as they studied him further, the differences became obvious.
Imkrag's only known family consisted of his father, mother, and sister, and there had never been any mention of distant relatives.
Still, rumors had already begun to circulate—while Yoda, completely oblivious to the growing speculation, entered Hellfire Park without a second thought.
Once inside, his gaze lifted toward the towering structure before him.
The Hellfire Tower stood tall and imposing, a modern marvel of this world.
Despite having visited countless worlds and seen great architectural feats, Yoda found himself mildly impressed.
He studied the building's intricate design, his sharp mind analyzing every detail, silently acknowledging the remarkable craftsmanship before him.
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