The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 617 There is also the Demon King's second most favored student

"Demon King, please think of a way!"

A milky-white ghost floated in mid-air, its abstract little face scrunched up.

It looked really anxious, but its lively, darting up and down motions were just like a player who loves to watch the excitement.

Luo Yan ignored the noisy fellow and focused his attention on Miss Ophia Castellion sitting opposite him.

At this moment, the young lady from the holy city was wearing a deep blue dress, her golden braids piled high at the back of her head. A few wisps of hair fell over the white ruffles of her neckline, making her look dignified and elegant, highlighting her delicate and beautiful face.

Compared to two years ago, she seems to have grown a lot. However, her azure eyes now hold many of the troubles that come with growing up.

Perhaps it's not just the troubles of growing up.

Luo Yan knew very well what was going on.

The moment she uttered the question "which year?", all the carefully crafted excuses had already lost their meaning.

Clearly, she had discovered something.

History can easily deceive outsiders and be embellished at will by those who control it, but it is difficult to deceive those who are involved.

This is one of the reasons why Luo Yan has been intentionally avoiding Ophia.

He hadn't expected her interest in him to be so intense. Not only had she persisted for so long, but she had also managed to dig up the buried secrets.

But then again.

Perhaps it was precisely because of his deliberate distancing that Ophelia's curiosity was fueled. And ultimately, this curiosity turned into a boomerang, crossing the river of time and piercing the Demon King himself.

Meeting those azure eyes, Luo Yan remained silent for a moment before finally speaking truthfully.

"The most recent one was a few months ago."

Ophia pressed on with her questions without stopping.

"And the earliest time?"

Luo Yan said frankly.

"years ago."

Upon hearing this expected answer, Ophia's eyes became unfocused, and a complex expression appeared between her brows.

She gently bit her lower lip, her voice trembling slightly.

"As expected... Colin isn't your real name."

No wonder he's the Demon King's second most favored student.

As expected, she discovered it.

Luo Yan nodded slightly, picked up the black tea on the small table, and took a sip.

"That's the surname I voluntarily gave up, but that doesn't mean it doesn't belong to me."

That statement is actually correct.

He believed that if he asked, Vivian would agree without hesitation to become his mother and give him the bloodline of the Colin family.

There's a big difference between "cannot" and "don't want to".

Ophia, however, refused to give up.

"And what's your name? Roxie is a pseudonym, isn't it?"

“I don’t deny it,” he put down his teacup, his tone as calm as if he were telling someone else’s story, “it certainly doesn’t belong to me, but to my father whom I’ve hardly ever met.”

Ophia stared intently at him, her expression growing increasingly complicated.

It was an expression of wanting to hate but being unable to, and Luo Yan never expected that he would make this Miss Castellion so unable to let go.

"So what is your real name? Can you tell me the truth?"

"Luo Yan".

Luo Yan answered decisively, looking into Ophia's eyes.

"As you wish, that's the truth."

Ophia's eyes widened slightly, her beautiful face filled with surprise.

Clearly, this young lady had not expected that Prince Colin, whom she both loved and hated, would not lead her into a bottomless maze, but would answer her question so readily.

Ophia wasn't the only one stunned; Youyou, who had been floating by watching the scene unfold, was also taken aback. The milky-white ghost stood frozen in place, momentarily forgetting its chatter.

It had never seen such an honest Demon King before!
Seeing that Ophia was speechless because of his honesty, Luo Yan continued to speak in a very soft voice.

"Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Ophia stared intently at Luo Yan's face, trying to find a clue in that flawless mask.

"Earl Sean...did you kill him?"

"Of course not," Luo Yan replied naturally.

This is the truth, without a single falsehood.

the reason is simple.

Killing Earl Sean would not only be extremely risky, but it would also be completely against his interests.

His true goal was to seize the faith of Saint Sith and tear the vast empire apart, rather than destroying a few mage towers.

To achieve this strategic goal, he even meticulously prepared the Duchy of Campbell as a useful pawn.

Count Sean's death completely disrupted his plans.

The Empire and the Duchy of Campbell reached a tacit understanding, while the mages of the Academy forged an unwritten alliance with the feudal kings.

An unseen hand simultaneously disrupted his and Xuebang's chessboard, turning what was originally a methodical game into chaos.

This was the direct reason why he had to cut short his vacation and rush to Roland City.

He didn't actually want to come here until the situation became clearer.

In truth, Luo Yan also did not believe that Xue Bang was responsible for this incident.

Assassinating an imperial elder in the street would bring no benefit to those cunning mages; the empire's intervention would only complicate what should have been a simple matter.

Given the apparent strength of the Academy, they wouldn't even need to take action themselves; simply rallying the allied forces of the various kingdoms would be enough to crush the Republic of Ryan into dust.

Although it feels somewhat unfair to the people of Ryan, in the "Researchers of the Colin Void" plan, the First Republic of Ryan needs to perform a sacrificial ceremony first.

Seeing Luo Yan answer so easily, Ophia secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and her depressed mood recovered somewhat.

Fortunately.

Although Prince Colin is not Prince Colin, he is still the prince she remembers.

The fact that her beautiful dreams weren't shattered is probably the only thing she can be thankful for.

Looking at Ophia's expression, which was both relieved and distressed, Luo Yan could sense that this young lady had not completely let go of her resentment at being kept in the dark.

But she clearly believed this answer.

Thinking of this, he raised his eyebrows slightly and interrupted her thoughts with interest.

"You just believe that?"

Sensing a hint of surprise, Ophia's lips curled into a slight smile, a charming smile radiating confidence.

“Because you never lie,” she paused, a hint of resentment in her voice, “you just hide half of the most crucial information, deliberately making people think in the most misunderstanding ways.”

Luo Yan couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at Ophia's resentful face and leaned back gently in his chair.

"It seems you really understand me."

“After all, you are my mentor, and my observations of you are more detailed than you imagine. Perhaps I know you better than you know yourself.” Ophia raised her chin slightly, her tone carrying a hint of self-satisfaction.

Luo Yan nodded humbly.

"I wouldn't dare say that. I don't think I've taught you anything."

“Not at all, you taught me so much.” Ophia counted on her slender fingers, reciting as if she knew them by heart, “For example, what is true courage, how to face the crossroads of life, including how to distinguish true friendship from being used by others… Ah, I see, you wanted me to be used by only you.”

Seeing his serious expression, Luo Yan couldn't help but chuckle.

"So do you think your current actions can be considered correct courage?"

At this point, his smile faded, and his gaze became meaningful. "Especially after you've confirmed that the man sitting in front of you is a man of unknown origin."

Ophia met his gaze without flinching, slightly raising her chin to reveal her swan-like neck.

"What? Are you going to kill me to silence me?"

"How could that be?" Luo Yan shook his head, rested his chin on the back of his hand, and studied her expression. "You are my dearest student."

Upon hearing this slightly teasing nickname, Ophia's cheeks flushed slightly, and she unconsciously lowered her raised chin.

However, she did not back down.

After all, she is no longer the person she used to be.

"Do you want to bribe me to keep this a secret?" She rested her chin on the back of her hand, mimicking her mentor's gesture, and nodded lightly, feigning composure. "Well, it's not impossible. Miss Castellón is actually quite easy to bribe."

Luo Yan followed up with the question.

"for example?"

Ophelia reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, a mischievous glint in her azure eyes.

"For example... since you don't want the surname Colin, how about Castellion instead?"

Luo Yan was amused by this whimsical suggestion.

“I will not comment, but your father will probably be the first to disagree.”

Ophia, however, simply raised her face indifferently.

"I will persuade him; at worst, I'll force him to agree."

I have to agree, it's alright.

Upon hearing this, Luo Yan paused, about to ask her what method she intended to use. But seeing the barely suppressed blush on her face, he ultimately gave up on teasing his adorable student.

“...What I mean is, the Castellion family needs Colin as an ally. And it’s not just the Castellion family, the entire Senate needs me, as well as the thirteen colonies on the continent of Gana and the Knights Templar.”

With a very soft voice, Luo Yan broke the silence and continued calmly.

“Even if I am not Prince Colin at all, at this time, I must be… unless I myself voluntarily broke the alliance.”

There are many ways to break an alliance.

This includes voluntarily giving up keeping unspoken secrets, and doing things that the Senate could not tolerate.

Ophia stared at him blankly for a long time before she came to her senses.

“No wonder you’re so confident,” she muttered softly. “You’re not worried at all about this secret being leaked, are you?” Luo Yan nodded slightly, not denying it.

"Because reality is so cruel, the truth is often the least important thing. In fact... it only becomes valuable when someone needs it. And by then, it's not too late to create one on the spot."

There are two epics in the continent of Os.

One is something spoken behind closed doors to one's own people; the other is something spoken to fools outside. The professors who compile encyclopedias generally understand science, but the vast majority of encyclopedists are actually just following a religion called science.

Small boats come and go on the Benliu River every day. They all look different, but they all follow the same script, going to the same places and stopping at the same places, because the people who drive the boats are the same people.

There was probably only one person in the entire encyclopedic faction who saw through the truth, and that was Professor Ferguson, who was at Thunder City University.

However, the cruelty of the truth lies in this: even if he had already seen what happened before and what would happen after, he could not change anything.

This includes the death of the encyclopedists.

Ophia pouted.

"This is quite different from the principles you taught me in the Holy City."

“Because back then, in my eyes you were just a child.” Luo Yan smiled helplessly. “Don’t think I’m a good person, but I still have some bottom lines.”

"And now?"

"Now?" Luo Yan looked her up and down. "You dared to sneak away from the mission without your father's knowledge and take a train all by yourself to Twilight Province to find someone. If I still consider you a brat who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, I'm afraid I'm just fooling myself."

Ophia couldn't help but smile.

Although this guy's way of speaking is a bit infuriating, he finally stopped treating me like a child, which is an improvement!
Miss Ophia's mood visibly improved.

However, her little bit of pride didn't last long. She quickly suppressed her smile and put on a serious expression.

“Let’s make a deal.” She looked into Luo Yan’s eyes. “I swear on my Castellion name that I will never reveal your secret.”

As she spoke, she seemed to remember something else and quietly added a sentence at the end.

"Although... I think those inconsistencies in your timing mean it's only a matter of time before you're exposed."

Luo Yan nodded readily in agreement.

"Thank you."

As long as Miss Castellion doesn't write any memoirs, a few insignificant doubts will only add to his legend.

"Don't thank me yet, this is a deal." Ophelia held up her index finger and wagged it. "You have to promise me one thing!"

Meeting those clear, azure eyes, Luo Yan raised his eyebrows noncommittally, cautiously leaving himself room to maneuver.

"That depends on the specifics of the matter."

Ophia smiled.

"Don't worry, it definitely won't be too difficult for you."

Luo Yan picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Whether it's difficult or not, I'll have to hear about it before I can make a judgment."

“I need to find out who killed Earl Sean Vignell!” Ophelia stared intently at him. “He was my father’s close friend, and the catalyst for this war. You may think the truth isn’t important, but I think it is!”

"reason?"

"Because holy light flows in my blood! I will never watch the children of the holy light wander through the mist, led to some unknown place by that unseen black hand!"

"..."

Luo Yan remained silent for a while.

He turned his gaze to the desolate street scene outside the carriage window, pretending not to have heard the troublesome request.

Seeing that her respected mentor had fallen silent again, Ophia frowned slightly.

Feeling that gaze, even more piercing than holy light, Luo Yan sighed softly and could only face the duchess again.

"You said it wouldn't be difficult. This is really too troublesome. Can I choose another one?"

“Sure,” Ophelia said with a smile. “Then let me marry into the Castellion family, or I can change my name to Ophelia Collin. You didn’t intend to give up this surname, did you?”

"Ok."

"Huh?!"

Now it was Ophia's turn to break through.

That pretentious, mature face instantly turned into a ripe apple, her effortless pretense shattered in an instant, and her mouth opened and closed helplessly as if she had lost the ability to speak.

“I haven’t finished speaking yet, don’t jump to conclusions,” Luo Yan calmly interrupted her wild thoughts. “What I mean is… okay, I will find out who killed Sean.”

Youyou, always eager for a good show, was already rolling around in the carriage, her writhing body resembling an incredibly fat seal.

Ophia's cheeks instantly puffed up like freshly baked bread.

She glared angrily at the man sitting opposite her, like a sulking little girl.

"Leaving things unsaid is definitely not gentlemanly behavior!"

Luo Yan nodded slightly, seemingly reflecting on his own problems, or perhaps he never had.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had this bad habit before. I'll be more careful in the future."

Ophia gritted her teeth.

"I will write your face into the ancestral precepts of the Castellón family! My descendants must never produce such an ungentlemanly scoundrel as you!"

Luo Yan finally couldn't help but chuckle.

"Then you must remember to add a line to the ancestral precepts to remind your lovely little gentlemen not to be fooled by those who only say half of what they mean. There should be quite a few bad guys like me in the future."

Ophia seemed even angrier.

This was clearly not the answer she wanted to hear.

With the soft creak of wheels scraping against the stone pavement, the carriage came to a smooth stop at its destination.

Sarah, who was in charge of driving, jumped down from the carriage and opened the black door. Facing the two who had been flirting all the way, she bowed respectfully and reported softly.

"Your Highness, we have arrived."

Luo Yan nodded slightly and stepped down from the carriage first.

He then turned around, extended his white-gloved right hand into the carriage, and gentlemanly helped the now-restored Ophia off the train.

What appeared before the two was the former summer palace of the Ryan royal family, which is now the venue for the National Assembly to receive foreign guests and hold meetings.

At this moment, outside the main gate of the Summer Palace, Marshal Fayette and Conrad, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the National Assembly, and others had been waiting for a long time in the chilly wind.

Marshal Fayet was slightly taken aback as he watched the imperial prince slowly step down from the carriage, and his brows furrowed slightly involuntarily.

He felt that handsome and elegant face looked somewhat familiar.

Moreover, it seems I saw him in the square outside the Royal Prison...

However, he dismissed the absurd idea in a second. According to cross-verification of intelligence from various sources, on the very day the National Assembly's army stormed the Royal Prison, Prince Colin's airship, the Truth, had just arrived in Twilight City of the Twilight Province.

The airship was not carrying any weapons.

The forces supporting them are probably someone else entirely...

'I'm probably just imagining things because I'm too tired lately,' the dignified marshal muttered to himself, dismissing the trivial doubt from his mind.

Foreign Minister Conrad quietly nudged Fayette with his elbow, bringing the distracted Fayette back to her senses.

Facing these two heavyweights from the empire, he solemnly performed a nobleman's salute and spoke respectfully and humbly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both, Your Highness Roxie Collin and Your Eminence Ophia Castellón. I am Sir Fayette Gilbert, Marshal of the National Assembly and Acting Consul of the Transitional Authority. It is an honor to meet you both!"

Luo Yan responded politely with a noble gesture of touching his chest, while Ophia, standing smiling beside him, gracefully lifted her skirt and performed a ladylike curtsy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Marshal Fayet," Luo Yan said with a smile as he shook hands with Fayet, as if it were their first meeting. "I've heard Grand Duke Edward mention your name before, and seeing you today, I can confirm your impressive bearing!"

“Your Highness is too kind,” Fayette nodded respectfully, gripping Prince Colin’s hand tightly. “Compared to your brilliance, I am like a firefly under the bright moon, insignificant.”

"Haha, you're too kind!"

While exchanging pleasantries with His Highness Colin, Fayette secretly glanced at Miss Ophia out of the corner of his eye.

To be honest, he never expected that the daughter of the most prominent duke in the empire would swagger into the war-torn city of Roland at such a sensitive juncture.

Roland City is now like a pot of boiling oil, and even Marshal Roland is worried about his personal safety.

If it weren't for the Imperial Earl's death causing such a commotion in the National Assembly, he would have gone to the front lines to lead troops into battle long ago, and wouldn't be staying here at all.

At this moment, Marshal Fayet, who had already picked up the habits of a politician, couldn't help but wonder what kind of political intentions were hidden behind this illogical behavior.

However, before Fayet could even process the outcome in his mind, Ophia stepped forward and spoke up in her clear and decisive voice.

"Nice to meet you, Marshal Fayet. Now that you know my identity, I will not waste time on unnecessary formalities."

Seeing that Miss Ophia was about to get down to business, Marshal Fayet immediately stopped joking and showed a serious expression.

"Please speak frankly! The National Assembly will fully cooperate with anything that the Republic of Ryan can do."

Just as Ophia was about to speak, Prince Colin, who was standing next to her, coughed lightly and naturally took over the conversation.

"Miss Ophia needs a room facing the sun, and preferably one with a view of the dome of the Saint Laurent Cathedral. She greatly admires the local architectural aesthetics, and her most important purpose for this trip is to bring back her observations of Roland City to the Holy City of the Empire, thereby dispelling many misunderstandings that the citizens of the Holy City have about this border region."

Upon hearing this unexpected remark, both Fayette and Conrad were momentarily stunned, before a look of varying degrees of joy appeared on their faces.

It turns out that Miss Castellion didn't come to confront us, but rather to promote cultural exchange!
This is simply... a great gift from Saint Sis!
"This, this is truly an honor! Please rest assured, Miss Castellion, I assure you, the view from your room window will not disappoint you!"

Fayette's voice rose several octaves with excitement, and he became quite energetic.

"In addition, if you have any needs regarding your daily life or travel, please feel free to tell Minister Conrad at any time, and we will do our best to meet them!"

Minister Conrad was beaming with pride.

However, unlike Fayette, he did not show his joy on his face. Instead, he suppressed his excitement behind a restrained politeness and nodded slightly.

"Please don't be shy, Miss Castellion. We will absolutely not let our distinguished guests from the Holy City be disappointed in the slightest!"

Ophia's eyes widened in surprise.

She turned to look at Luo Yan, puzzled, her eyes questioning why he had altered her statement.

'Didn't we agree on this?'

However, Luo Yan did not look at her. His handsome face still maintained an elegant and proper smile as he naturally conversed with Marshal Fayet, whose joy was evident.

At the same time, a gentle breeze silently entered Ophia's ear.

That was a whisper that only she could hear—

"Leave it to me."

(End of this chapter)