Growing Up with the Demon King Tyrant - Chapter 27

Himeng remained silent for a moment.

“Awooo, awooo”… What did those two sounds mean?

Although she had traveled to many places over the years and was considered well-traveled—having learned some Dwarven, Elven, and even parts of the Beastmen languages—she did not speak Dragon. Furthermore, the last time she saw this young dragon, he was able to transform; why was he suddenly unable to do so now?

Xue Yi was very anxious, the tip of his tail stiff with tension. He let out another “awooo,” his eyes looking timid. The dragon cub was wearing delicate light-blue clothes with a gemstone brooch on his chest and a matching hat that let two small horn tips poke through, looking both a bit ridiculous and a bit cute.

Just then, a servant heard the commotion and rushed over. “Your Highness!” She stepped forward to carefully pick up Xue Yi, explaining to Himeng, “Xue Yi was just playing over there; I don’t know how he ended up here. Please appease your anger, Princess…”

Himeng moved her bronze sword away and offered a brief explanation: “I am not angry.” Her face was cold and stern; even a casual glance carried immense deterrent force.

Xue Yi watched her sheathe the bronze sword and licked his paw with lingering fear. “Awooo…” The dragon cub looked down to see that the leaf had fallen to the ground, and the tiny bit of solidified frost inside had spilled, turning into a small wet patch on the stone bricks.

“What happened? Where is Xue Bao?”

Xue Yi heard Queen Wei’s voice and poked his head back; it was indeed her. She had been busy in the kitchen when another servant came to report; worried about Xue Yi, she had washed her hands and rushed over without even taking off her apron.

Seeing Queen Wei, Himeng bowed. “Queen.”

Queen Wei took Xue Yi from the servant’s arms, listening to the brief explanation of what happened. She breathed a sigh of relief. “So that’s it… Xue Bao’s health isn’t great, and he can’t transform frequently. Perhaps he couldn’t find his way back after turning small and couldn’t speak.” When Xihuai sent Xue Yi over this morning, he had specifically mentioned this, fearing Xue Yi would forget the time.

Himeng stared at Xue Yi for a moment, then looked at Queen Wei. “The Queen’s relationship with this dragon is quite good.” Calling him “Xue Bao” and holding him personally—had something happened during the eight years she was gone that she didn’t know about? However, Queen Wei was a Wood Elf; it was somewhat normal for her not to hate dragons. The most abnormal one was Xihuai.

Queen Wei didn’t deny it, smiling instead. “Since the Princess is here, why not come to my quarters together? I made rose sweet cakes; they’ll be ready to eat soon.”

“No,” Himeng refused without hesitation. “I have business.” With that, she turned and left along another small path, heading toward the main palace.

The dragon cub stretched his neck, watching Himeng’s retreating figure. Big Brother’s sister… doesn’t seem that scary after all. She just said she wasn’t angry. And that dark bronze sword looked so very heavy, yet she could carry it around so effortlessly. Xue Yi quickly pushed the fear of being scared into a dragon form to the back of his mind and began to wonder what that bronze sword felt like to the touch.

Queen Wei didn’t mind Himeng’s refusal or coldness. She carried Xue Yi back. “Were you frightened just now?”

Xue Yi thought about it, the tip of his perked-up tail wagging. “Awoo!” He simply hadn’t been prepared; he wasn’t actually scared at all—not one bit. Queen Wei didn’t understand him and simply stroked the back of the little dragon’s neck to comfort him. “Don’t fear, let’s go back and eat sweet cakes.”

Having turned back into a dragon, it wasn’t convenient to find leaves to make ice. Xue Yi set the matter aside for the moment and happily ate the fresh cakes. Back inside, the white cat was very excited to see Xue Yi in his dragon form again, meowing incessantly. Xue Yi sprawled on Queen Wei’s lap nibbling cakes while the cat paced below before jumping up to squeeze in with him.

Five years ago, the white cat cub and the dragon cub were the same size. Now, the cat had grown into a large feline while the dragon cub was only slightly larger than before—almost no different. Seeing the tiny Xue Yi, the cat was inexplicably excited, its green eyes shining with a sort of “pitying” affection as it rubbed against the dragon cub, who was several sizes smaller than itself. Its long fur kept pressing against him, interfering with Xue Yi’s cake-eating. After the third rub, Xue Yi lost his patience and swatted the cat with his paw. Only then did the cat behave, lying down to wait for him to finish.

Inside the Main Palace

Himeng proceeded without hindrance through several corridors to the study, requesting to see Himonya. The adjutant led her in after announcing her arrival.

“What is the matter?” Himonya set down his letters. “I intended to visit you today. You…” Himeng had been back for several days but had stayed in her chambers, claiming she was exhausted from the journey. Having successfully helped the Dwarves repel the Sirens, Himonya allowed her to remain secluded.

“I received news from the Hawk Tribe,” Himeng said directly. “Their territory connects to the Black Spine Mountains. Recently, many spirit beasts there have gone feral, attacking every living creature they see.”

A portion of the Beastmen still preferred to live in primitive environments with their own survival methods. The Hawk Tribe consisted of several branches and had lived near the Black Spine Mountains for generations without incident. Spirit beasts attacking a tribe wasn’t usually a major issue—the Hawks could handle it—but it was becoming increasingly frequent and the cause was unknown, which was highly suspicious.

Himeng had visited years ago and was on good terms with the tribal chief, who contacted her directly.

“Unknown cause?” Himonya frowned. “Could it be a change in seasons or something they ate?”

“Unlikely.” Himeng took out a transmission device and showed him the contents. “There are many types of spirit beasts in the mountains. As long as one shows symptoms, the entire species goes feral simultaneously.” She paused before adding, “And they all share a trait: they are naturally fierce and carnivorous.”

There are many such spirit beasts, and while feral attacks happen occasionally, they are never this frequent or widespread. According to the Hawk Chief, they even saw a high-land fox that had just given birth attacking its own blind cubs until one died. It was as if these spirit beast groups were under a curse; several mages had tried purification spells to no effect.

As Himonya examined the images, his expression grew increasingly grave.

“Have you realized?” Himeng’s gaze was sharp. “The behavior is identical to those crazed Sirens.”

Strictly speaking, Sirens are also spirit beasts. They aren’t highly intelligent and don’t speak, but they use unique voices to lure travelers before killing them for food. However, they live in water and are usually timid around large groups of people. A few years ago, they suddenly began attacking merchant ships in massive numbers. The Dwarves, being poor swimmers and initially unprepared, suffered heavy casualties.

Himonya looked up. “You are saying the Sirens share the same feral symptoms as these spirit beasts?”

“Yes,” Himeng answered. Compared to ordinary beasts, Sirens are slightly smarter; perhaps because of this, they didn’t kill their own kind and knew how to flee from danger.

Himeng opened her storage ring and searched inside. After a moment, she pulled out a black box and placed it before Himonya. The box was covered in a thin layer of frost, radiating cold air. Himonya opened it to reveal a bloody head, perfectly preserved in a block of ice.

It was the head of a Siren—blue-skinned with fish scales and gills. Despite being in there for a while, the blood in the ice was still bright red, and several greyish, unidentified strands were seeping from the eye sockets.

“This is a Siren I killed,” Himeng explained. “After it died, mist began to seep from its eyes. I thought it was abnormal, so I froze it.” She had asked several Dwarves who were also unsure; the head had remained in her storage ring since. Today, upon receiving the Hawk Chief’s message, she immediately made the connection to the sudden Siren attacks. No exact cause had been found for that event either; they could only hunt or drive them away.

Himonya closed the box and had the adjutant take it away. “I will have it investigated thoroughly. I’ll also arrange personnel for the Hawk Tribe; do not worry.”

Himeng gave a brief “good” and turned to leave. Himonya opened his mouth to say something but ultimately remained silent.

Back at the Queen’s Quarters

Xue Yi finished his sweet cakes and played rattan ball with the cat. Having turned into a dragon, he couldn’t run as fast as the cat, but he could fly. Although still unpracticed, he could glide slowly near the ground, using his hind legs to give a little kick whenever he felt like he was falling.

After playing for a while and reaching the time limit, Xue Yi transformed back into a human. He checked his hat and brooch, ate half a cake by Queen Wei’s side, and began playing with blocks.

At noon, Xinian was the first to return. High-school class schedules weren’t fixed, and Xinian finished earlier than Xihuai today. He walked in, but stopped the moment he saw Xue Yi.

Queen Wei was surprised. “So early today? You didn’t skip class, did you?”

“How is that possible!” Xinian retorted. “I never skip class!” He entered the room, making a deliberate detour around Xue Yi’s position.

Seeing him, Xue Yi stood up and asked, “Where is Big Brother?”

“He’s still behind…” Xinian said, taking a glass from his storage ring to get water. He turned around to find Xue Yi right behind him. He jumped in fright, instinctively taking half a step back.

Xue Yi looked curious and took another step toward Xinian. The last time he saw Xinian was the day they returned; Xinian’s attitude wasn’t like this then. Now… he seemed a bit afraid.

Xinian held his glass, his expression stiff and awkward. Xue Yi slowly reached out and poked his elbow. Xinian’s body went rigid, and he moved his elbow away slightly. Xue Yi then poked his waist. Xinian’s body twisted, his features slightly contorted.

Xue Yi let out a giggle and withdrew his hand, whispering, “What’s wrong with you?”

Xinian stood up straight, awkwardly rubbing his nose. One look at Xue Yi reminded him of Xihuai’s warning… If it were before, he definitely would have complained to Himonya, but now Xihuai had “changed his nature” in front of outsiders and was only Level 4 in magic—lower than himself. Who would believe it? What happened at the staircase landing went unseen.

Xinian still felt a bit of a psychological shadow. Today, for Xihuai’s first formal day of school, he had tried his best to avoid him. He looked at Xue Yi; the boy’s eyes were innocent and filled with a bit of concern. Xinian scratched his hair, unsure of what to say. Xue Yi was innocent in this; he was only five. How could Xihuai have been coerced by anyone? And… his previous comment about a “Master” truly was inappropriate. Combined with the fact that he wanted to tease Xue Yi with snacks, it likely looked like teasing a pet to Xihuai, hence the grudge.

Xinian stood there and let out a sigh. With Xihuai’s strange and eerie temper, will Xue Yi really not be influenced after staying by his side every day?

Xue Yi looked at Xinian and felt he was in a bad mood. He thought for a moment, pulled a small biscuit from his pocket, and handed it to Xinian. “This is the last piece I hid. It’s for you.”

Xinian was overwhelmed. Every time he tried to feed Xue Yi, the boy wouldn’t take it; he never expected to receive food from Xue Yi. He slowly reached out and took the biscuit.

Suddenly, a familiar set of footsteps approached from the corridor. Panicked, Xinian shoved the biscuit into his pocket and strode to the other side of the corner.

Xue Yi turned and saw Xihuai, running over happily. “Big Brother!”

Xihuai knelt to hug him, his gaze sweeping over Xinian. Feeling the stare, Xinian nervously took a large gulp of water. Fortunately, Xihuai noticed nothing and began talking to Xue Yi.

“I was delayed a bit on the way back. Are you hungry?” Xihuai felt Xue Yi’s palms and immediately frowned. “Why are your hands so cold?” He habitually didn’t eat at Queen Wei’s, carrying Xue Yi back toward their own quarters.

On the way, Xue Yi felt guilty. “I don’t know, I’m not cold… maybe because I turned into a dragon today.” He was afraid Xihuai would find out he had been making ice on the leaves, so he buried his face in Xihuai’s chest.

“How many times did you change?” Xihuai asked.

“Only once. I remember everything Big Brother said,” Xue Yi looked up. “When I was a dragon, I saw Big Brother’s sister…” He recounted the morning events, though he didn’t say why he went into the garden, just that he went out to play. “Big Brother’s sister asked me something… but I was a dragon, she couldn’t understand.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Xihuai comforted him. “Next time you see her, just fly away. You don’t have to pay her any mind.” Although it had been eight years, he still understood Himeng; if she said she wouldn’t touch Xue Yi, she wouldn’t. At most, her words were a bit cold.

Xue Yi nodded. “Okay.”

Xihuai adjusted his hat. “Were you very scared?” Thinking that Xue Yi had been scared into a dragon form by Himeng, Xihuai’s eyes turned dark. The first time was an accident, but she had stayed in her chambers for so long, and the moment she came out, she ran into Xue Yi.

“Only a little bit,” Xue Yi answered, cupping Xihuai’s face. “Big Brother doesn’t have to worry about me.” He thought of Himeng’s bronze sword and asked, “Does Big Brother know how to use a sword?”

Maybe I should use my frost to make a sword for Big Brother? But that sword was so big; he didn’t know how long it would take.

Xihuai said, “I don’t like using swords.”

Xue Yi breathed a sigh of relief and mentally crossed off the plan to make a bronze sword. With a short distance left to their chambers, Xue Yi leaned against Xihuai’s shoulder. “How was Big Brother? Is school fun?”

“Not very fun, but it went smoothly,” Xihuai said, asking casually, “Does Xue Bao want to go to school?”

Xue Yi had no concept of “school.” Long ago, going to the academy with Xihuai was just for play, and he had few memories of it. “With Big Brother?” His eyes sparkled. “Big Brother will take me to school?”

“Mm,” Xihuai grunted. “But… we have to wait a while longer.” He didn’t say how long, and Xue Yi didn’t ask, simply feeling a bit of expectation.

Back in their quarters, a servant delivered lunch. Xue Yi took a sip of hot soup and pulled a biscuit from his pocket. He placed it in Xihuai’s hand and whispered, “This is the last piece I hid. I saved it for Big Brother.”

Xihuai’s lips curled up as he accepted the biscuit. “Thank you, Xue Bao.”

Two days later at noon, just after Xue Yi finished lunch, the adjutant arrived. He brought a connected transmission device, saying Aier wanted to talk to them. Xihuai didn’t have his own device yet, and only a few people had the signal for the Star-Plucking Tower; Aier had to go through Himonya to reach them.

“It’s the Teacher!” Xue Yi was the most excited, holding the device. “Teacher!” The adjutant quietly retreated to wait by the door.

The device was dark and etched with magic circles. Aier’s familiar voice came from a round metal plate: “It is I. How have you been lately?”

Xihuai answered, “Everything is going smoothly.”

“And Xue Yi?” Aier asked. “Have you been practicing your writing?”

Xue Yi’s hands tightened on the device. “N-no.” Not to mention writing—lately, the books Xihuai read to him at night had changed from historical anecdotes to children’s stories.

“Xihuai has begun formal cultivation; you should also work hard,” Aier’s voice betrayed no emotion. “Have you looked at the Star Map?”

Xue Yi’s voice grew even smaller: “Also… no.”

“There is no rush for that. Look at it once every seven days at most, otherwise it will be a heavy drain,” Aier continued. “Just don’t let it gather dust and waste your talent.”

Xue Yi gave a dutiful response. Xihuai, who understood none of these comments, waited boredly, tidying the hair at the edge of Xue Yi’s hat. However… Aier seemed very concerned about Xue Yi’s learning progress. Xihuai looked down, silently making a note of this.

The transmission soon ended; it seemed Aier only wanted to know how they were doing—mainly Xue Yi. The adjutant came in to take the device, asking, “Has Your Highness adapted these past few days?”

Xihuai answered lazily, “I have.” He clearly didn’t want to say more, and the adjutant didn’t press, leaving with the device.

That Afternoon

Before going to the academy, Xihuai sent Xue Yi to Queen Wei. She took his hand and said, “That boy Xinian said he had an urgent matter and left without waiting for you.”

Xihuai didn’t care. “It’s fine. I’ll trouble you then.”

Xue Yi waved to him. “Goodbye, Big Brother.”

Once Xihuai was gone, Xue Yi went to the balcony to sunbathe and napped with the cat. When he woke, he was still thinking of making frost, so he told Queen Wei he wanted to play in the courtyard.

“Alright,” she agreed. “I’ll go with you.” She brought a few books and had a servant move a set of table and chairs to the sunniest spot in the yard. Xue Yi also brought his blocks, playing on a carpet spread in the gazebo.

His back was to Queen Wei; he was actually holding a leaf in his hand. For some reason, Xue Yi didn’t want others to see what he was doing, fearing someone might accidentally tell Xihuai. He turned his head to see Queen Wei reading at a distance, not paying attention. The white cat sat beside him, tilting its head to watch.

Confirming it was safe, Xue Yi held his breath and focused on the leaf. Over the past two days, he had repeated this practice daily with miniscule progress, but he hadn’t given up. Perhaps because he had practiced so much, and because he was well-fed and rested, the frost gathered noticeably faster this time. The color was lighter, looking semi-transparent.

Once the leaf was covered, Xue Yi touched it; it was somewhat hard. I’m almost successful! Overjoyed, Xue Yi hugged the cat and gave it a kiss.

At the Academy

Xihuai was in class. The first afternoon session was Demon Potion Theory—a core requirement for all students involving memorizing simple potion recipes and brewing methods. After class, the tutor left, and a classmate approached Xihuai.

“Your Highness,” the boy whispered, crouching by Xihuai’s chair and handing him a piece of paper. “I asked for you. From Yunzhou Village to the capital, the fastest delivery takes only three days.”

“Three days” referred to cargo transport. Xihuai had mentioned yesterday that he wanted to buy some things from Yunzhou Village and asked this classmate, whose family was in the merchant trade, to inquire. Yunzhou Village was a border territory; although called a village, it was a massive area. It was a famous trade city with no restrictions on visiting races; even the nearby Dragon Race visited occasionally.

Xihuai opened the note. It listed specific delivery times for different categories—the lighter the item, the shorter the time. He said “thank you” and handed two gold coins to the classmate. The boy only took one. “Your Highness is too polite. If there’s anything else you want to buy, just tell me.”

He inadvertently glanced at Xihuai’s desk and saw several books; the titles were all related to the Dragon Race. Noticing the look, Xihuai explained casually, “I don’t like those dragons; I’m looking for ways to drive them even further away.” His expression was normal and his tone casual, as if he were joking.

“Those dragons,” of course, did not include his little dragon. It was well known that Abyss Demons hated the Dragon Race—a grudge dating back to before the first King of the Abyss Demons united half the continent. The classmate didn’t suspect a thing, laughed a bit, and left.