Flillian, I want to live.

Philen looked at the flames rising into the sky in front of her. She felt a little tired. Before she fell into a deep sleep, she vaguely saw the figures of her parents in the flames.

Chapter 14 When a relative you haven't seen for a long time suddenly comes to visit

After crossing the desolate Gobi Desert, when Gutel and Philen arrived at the plains near the royal capital, the surrounding climate became pleasant.

However, compared with the beautiful natural environment, the world here did not become peaceful because of the disappearance of the Demon King. On the contrary, because the Demon King was defeated by Xinmeier, the human kingdom, which had lost its biggest external enemy, began to experience frequent power struggles and never-ending civil wars.

"Charge! For the Earl!"

On a wide grassland, two armies, which had formed their battle formations, shouted earth-shaking slogans and charged at each other. The clanging of swords and the dazzling magic like fireworks accompanied the entire battlefield, with blood and flesh flying everywhere.

On a high ground beside the battlefield, Gutel happened to pass by with Philen. Looking at the ongoing war, Gutel flew to a big rock with Philen in his arms with great interest, and enjoyed this grand battle from an excellent angle.

"How foolish..."

Guter looked down at the soldiers fighting each other on the battlefield. He saw those guys who were full of enthusiasm at the beginning gradually become desperate and crazy as the battle progressed and the casualties increased. In the end, the weaker side began to flee, and the whole battle turned into a massacre. Wailing and death spread throughout the battlefield, and even the green grass was stained red with blood.

"Why do you say that?"

It was the first time for Philen to witness a war between humans. She was more shocked than frightened.

"These people are killing each other just so that the nobles sitting comfortably in the castle can enjoy more benefits, while they leave their precious lives here. If the war against the Demon King's army is for the continuation of the race, then what is the purpose of this civil war?"

Gutel smelled the smell of blood coming from afar. Although there would be struggles among the demons, even among the demons, there would never be such a large-scale civil war. This was a war unique to humans.

"..."

Philen shook her head silently. For a child of her age, war was still too complicated for her to understand.

"If this continues, one day, the casualties caused by humanity slaughtering each other will exceed those caused by the invasion of the Demon King's army."

Gutel touched Philen's head and said with emotion.

“Will humanity become extinct itself?”

Philen raised his head, stared at Gutel, and asked curiously.

"Who knows? Come to think of it, do you still remember your grandfather's name?"

Guter shrugged and turned the topic to the grandfather that Philen was going to live with.

"John..."

Philen muttered a name.

"Is that so? Then let's go look for it."

Gutel said slowly as he looked at the general who was commanding his soldiers to massacre prisoners on the battlefield in the distance.

"Lord John?"

The bustling town streets were now crowded with people like a celebration. In the surging crowd, Guter held Fearon with one hand and held down his sun hat with the other. He took great pains to catch a passerby and asked about Fearon's grandfather.

"Yes, is there a nobleman here named John?"

Guter's body swayed left and right with the surge of the crowd, while he asked the other party loudly.

"Hey, you are from out of town, right, young lady?"

The other party looked at Gutel with an expression as if he was a country bumpkin.

"Well, sort of..."

Gutel also visited this city ten years ago, but at that time, the city was far less lively than it is now.

"Ah, look, isn't Master John here?"

At this moment, the passerby's eyes lit up, and he squeezed to the front of the crowd as if he had discovered something, while pointing in a direction for Gutel with his hand.

"Eh?"

Confused, Gutel looked in the direction the man pointed... The dense wall of people in front completely blocked her vision. She could only hear the cheers of the crowd, but could not see what was in front of her at all.

"Ahhh, I can't stand it!"

Gutel picked up Philen beside her in a frenzy, and then she mobilized the magic power in her body and flew into the air.

Now, Guter finally saw what people were crazy about.

In the middle of the street separated by fences, a general wearing silver armor and riding a tall horse was leading the triumphant army to receive cheers and greetings from the people.

Because Guter and Philen were very conspicuous when they flew out of the crowd, the general who was waving to the crowd noticed them almost immediately, and Guter immediately looked into the other's cold eyes under his helmet.

Guter recognized the other person at once.

The general in front of him was the guy who defeated the enemy on the previous battlefield and brutally killed all the prisoners of war.

"It's a magician!"

"Is it an assassin?!"

"Protect Lord John!"

At the same time, the general's subordinates also discovered the presence of Guter and Philen. Because they were flying in the city where flying was prohibited, they mistook Guter for a magician who came to assassinate them. They screamed and rushed forward to protect their general behind them, and the magicians who followed the army also took to the air one by one, raised their staffs and aimed at Guter.

"Ah, hey..."

Feeling that the situation was not good, Gutel broke out in a cold sweat on her forehead. Although all the guys present might not be her match together, if a conflict really broke out, Philen in her arms would be in trouble.

"Wait a moment!"

Just when the atmosphere was tense, the general in the center suddenly raised his hand to stop his subordinates' actions.

"Yes, yes, long live peace~"

On the other side, Gutel also quickly agreed and raised Philen in his arms above his head, indicating that he had no intention of attacking.

"That child..."

On the other side, the general also reached out and took off the helmet on his head. Under Guter's gaze, a young man with a handsome face and purple hair appeared in front of everyone.

Although in terms of age, the man called Lord John certainly could not be Philen's grandfather, but his soft purple hair and pair of purple eyes as bright as gems were exactly the same as Philen who was held above his head by Gutel.

"Mother……"

After seeing the man's face, Philen was in a trance, as if she saw the shadow of her mother in the other person, so she subconsciously cried out.

"Take them... no, please, to the castle."

After seeing Philen, the general's expression was a little complicated, but under the gaze of many citizens and his subordinates, he quickly returned to normal and gave orders to his men in a deep voice.

"Ah, it seems like this relative of yours is quite important, Philen."

On the other side, Gutel stared at the man in front of him and said to Philen with a smile that hinted at something.

Chapter 15: Isn't it said that uncles love their nephews the most?

Inside the solemn lobby, sunlight slanted down from the skylight overhead, converging right onto the throne at the end of the lobby. On that throne, a symbol of power and status, a purple-haired man in silver armor was sitting there, his head supported by his hands, looking somewhat melancholy.

"Really? My sister has been... killed by the demons."

Listening to Philen telling the news about her parents' death, a trace of barely perceptible grief flashed across the man's face, and then he regained his composure and spoke in an indifferent tone.

"Um……"

Speaking of her mother's death, Philen still couldn't let it go. She clutched the pendant with her parents' portraits in her hand and nodded to the uncle in front of her whom she had never met before.

"As you can see, this country is experiencing war," the man turned his head to Gutel, looking at the girl who called herself a traveling magician with complicated eyes. "Although I am very grateful that you saved Philen from that disaster, my father, Philen's grandfather, has been bedridden for a long time due to illness. He is now in a coma most of the time. If he knew the news of his sister's death at this time, I am afraid he would..."

"Um...are you ordering us to leave?"

Although the man spoke very tactfully, Guter immediately saw through his true thoughts and pointed them out directly without any emotional intelligence.

"..." Guter's bluntness made the man a little embarrassed. He was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "If you insist on saying that, I can't refute it, but I'm not that heartless. I will give you a generous reward and send someone to escort you to the capital. I will also write a letter to help Philen find a reliable family to adopt you."

"Well, I don't mind," Guter shrugged, then tilted his head to look at Philen beside him, "It mainly depends on you, Philen, do you agree?"

Philen raised her head and looked at the man on the throne. He was her uncle, one of the few relatives she had in the world. However, to her, he was also a stranger whom she had only met once.

"If that's what my uncle decides," Philen said calmly, seemingly unconcerned about being abandoned by his family again. "I won't object."

"Really?" When Philen addressed him as uncle, the man's cold face suddenly showed a slight wavering expression. However, he quickly regained his original expression. "Then without further ado, I'll have someone accompany you today... Let's go on the journey."

"Wait a moment!"

At this moment, a voice that sounded somewhat old suddenly rang out in the spacious lobby, interrupting the conversation between several people.

When Gutel turned around, he saw an old man in a gray robe striding in from the door with several armored guards.

The old man's hair was gray, but his physique was as strong as a wrestler. His features were straight, his expression was solemn, and his hawk-like eyes stared intently at the man on the throne. He said,

"Who allowed you to sit there? Get down now!"

"You are but my father's servant," the man on the throne narrowed his eyes and looked playfully at the old man who had barged into the hall. "Who taught you to speak to your master like that?"

"Master?" The old man chuckled disdainfully. He looked at the man who had just completed his triumphal procession amid the cheers of the people, his eyes filled with disdain. "My master is the Earl who has protected this land for generations, and you are nothing more than a bastard. Are you worthy of being called Master?"

"you!"

The man's subordinates beside the throne drew their swords in anger, but the man stopped them with his hands.

"I am only trying to help my father, Mr. Butler."

The man crossed his legs and explained to the old man in front of him with a smile.

"Relieve the Earl's worries? If you really wanted to relieve his worries, why didn't you even give him a chance to see his granddaughter, and instead rushed to drive Miss Phelan away?"

The old butler smiled coldly at the man. He walked forward and half-knelt in front of Philen. He lowered his head, slowly held up Philen's little hand, and respectfully offered a kiss to swear allegiance.

"Lord Philen, please follow me. I will keep you safe."

The old butler put on a completely different attitude of submission and made a soft request to Philen.

"Forehead……"

Philen was a little overwhelmed by this sudden change. She turned to look at the man on the throne, then at the old butler in front of her, and finally turned her gaze to Gutel.

"Do you want to ask my opinion?" Gutel scratched her hair as Phelan stared at her. Although she didn't want to get involved in his family affairs, she couldn't resist Phelan's pitiful eyes. "If it were me, I would probably choose this side."

Gutel looked at the old housekeeper beside her. She did not have the ability to see through everything like the omniscient Shulahat, but as a demon who had lived for a thousand years, she had developed the ability to see through people's hearts.

Between the man and the old housekeeper, the former concealed something in his words, while the latter was sincere.

If you stand in Philen's perspective, you should naturally choose to believe the latter.

"That's it."

Philen looked up and said to his uncle on the throne.

"Really? Then it's as you wish."

The man did not say much, nor did he defend himself. Instead, he allowed the old butler to cautiously lead Philen and Gutel out of the lobby.

"My Lord Earl, I'm afraid he's almost dying."

As soon as they left the lobby and walked up the stairs to the upper floor of the castle, the old butler broke out some explosive news.

"Grandpa..."

Philen felt her heart skip a beat. Although she had never met him before, she still felt an inexplicable sadness when she heard the news.

"You are indeed different from that bastard," the old butler felt the throbbing in Philen's heart. He lowered his head and looked at Philen with a look of relief. "The first time I saw you, I knew that you were the legitimate heir of the Earl's family. You look exactly like the eldest lady when she was a child."

"Well, speaking of which, what's the connection here?" Guter, who had been silently following the old butler and Ferren, interrupted. "That guy just now seemed quite popular among the people. Everyone just called him Sir John."

"That fellow is just a bastard who stole the Earl's name. He is the son of a romantic debt of the Earl in his youth. His mother is a prostitute in a brothel. She gave birth to him without the Earl's consent."

The old butler told the story of that man with a look of disgust.

"Illegitimate children...are indeed unwelcome among humans, especially in the southern kingdom."

Guter's face showed an expression of sudden enlightenment.

"As expected of a well-informed wizard, Miss. Unlike those northern barbarians, in our civilized southern kingdom, a bastard like him has no right of inheritance, let alone someone with such evil intentions."

The old butler nodded and said in agreement.

"However, entrusting such an illegitimate child with such an important task and letting him lead the army...I'm afraid there must be some unspeakable hidden reason behind this?"

Gutel looked at the old butler and asked with some gossip.

Chapter 16 Loyalty but not complete loyalty