Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Chapter 172  ?

Asura walked through the city of Drakkur feeling strange. He covered his face and body with a mask and robes, not because of shady ideas. He desired to know the current situation and why the city felt so dull and eerie. The moment he left the tower, it felt like another world.

'A newspaper...' [Fall of the South! WAR IS UPON US!]

The newspaper's date was the 5th of Juna, 3548 ASR. "I've been gone for over a month!?" His voice was low but confused as they entered the tower on the 2nd of Meyna.

"Excuse me!" Asura called out to the shopkeeper, throwing the money for the paper, avoiding the sharp stare of the wrinkled old man, adding extra silver. "May I ask a question, old sir?"

The old man rolled his eyes, giving Asura a disgusted look. "What can I help you with, laddie?" He spat on the ground, arms crossed, looking at the dirt below. He only picked his head up once he heard the loud thus of the coin bag. Instantly, his demeanour changed. "S-Sire... How can I help you?"

"Why are people so strange in this city? And what is the news with the paper?" Asura looked around, looking at the paper again, noting many articles about Romanica and clashes at the border, while the north and east seemed unsettled, causing the common folk to sense dark times.

"It's those blasted soldiers and merchants. Ever since those bastards from Romanica took control over the church in a southern village, it's been nothing but trouble." The old man snickered. "Thing is that no one can do a damn thing! Because the church and Romanica are different. The queen has armies settled across the village border, while Romanica bolsters their might..."

'Yes... the church isn't something from Silvara, but from another continent that is said to far surpass it in wealth and technology.'

"What of the southern war, old sir?" Asura listened, walking towards the door. "How does that affect Drakkur?"

The old man froze up as he looked at Asura.

"Laddie, it's not the war that affected our wonderful Drakkur, but our lovely countess and her daughter have become bedridden since the confirmation that her fiancé perished." The old man didn't show any smile; his face looked genuinely apologetic and solemn.

"What? How!?" Asura stared at the old man wide-eyed and shocked. Once again, the old man looked awkward but replied, "Well... A member of the eastern Shang family came to visit to offer his condolences, although he was rejected at the door. His geomancer and divinator were genuine, and even the queen accepted their verdict... The departure of princess Vela was a hard day for our people to endure, those tears and that despair... Ack... the poor lass."

Asura didn't know what to say. He looked at the ground and walked out of the door. He might feel confused if this was him from the past. Instead, he let his mind go through the information and walked towards the citadel with a solemn look on his face.

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'What does this all mean?

'Verana and her mother are both sick? So that means Verena invited her puppet to help her plans?'

The guards stopped him with their spears when he arrived at the castle.

However, Asura didn't seem phased and stepped forward, revealing his face and noble emblem to them; instantly, their eyes widened. "Go tell her immediately!" Asura ordered in a deep tone.

However, Asura didn't seem phased and stepped forward, revealing his face and noble emblem to them; instantly, their eyes widened. "Go tell her immediately!" Asura ordered in a deep tone.

"SIR!"

"Your Lordship!"

Not wanting to be those cliché people in tales, he activated the item that allowed contact one way and sent a message to all the women connected to him, from Vela to Lorem and Mu Xue.

Asura sent messages to everyone, especially his family, because if he didn't announce it now, what if the news got there too late and something irredeemable happened?

He waited a few minutes, seeing the doors open, and Verana appeared. Her hair was a mess, filled with knots and bristles. Her face looked pale, and her lips were dry, making him look at her with a troubled gaze.

'The idiot still does not realise how much she might have damaged herself, acting the way she did!'

"It's you?" Verana's voice sounded frail, like a young girl, full of uncertainty.

Asura didn't speak; instead, he took the woman into his arms because they had last met.

"Asura. You didn't die. I'm so glad. I'm so, so glad..."

They finally stepped on the path of understanding, and he spent what seems to have been months studying his memories, learning more about women, their actions, and subtle clues. So he didn't fail this time! He clutched her tightly, his tall body much larger than hers. Her raven hair with flicks of crimson fluttered under his aggressive movement, which only caused her to hold tightly, afraid he would slip away.

"I've returned," Asura whispered affectionately, taking her slender hands into his own. "I've returned safely. To be with you once again. Verana." His tone was that of a whisper, yet he used magic to resonate it and caused her to blush.

Her hands trembled in his grasp while gazing at him softly. "I thought you had forgotten me... and died again—first. " Her tone was faint as he pressed her body against his own.

"Verana. I will never die." He clutched her arms firmly, staring deeply into her teary eyes. "I'll never allow myself to be slain and make you unhappy again."

"ASURA!" Verana looked up at him, not caring for her appearance. She spoke with her emotions, her lips closing his as many nobles and guests from the kingdom gloated before finally understanding the scene.

"T-This is!? You—I!?" one noble shouted out loud. "The bastard was alive all along!?"

"No wonder we couldn't find anything about his grave or funeral service!"

The young couple didn't care for this—their lips open, tongues entwined like snakes separated for an eternity, finally reunited.

Verana's tongue explored Asura's mouth, exploring every inch, feeling the taste and warmth she missed so much.

It felt as if the world had become theirs. Her sobs of happiness caused tears to roll down her cheeks, and she rubbed her soft nose against his rugged chin.

"Asura!" Her voice was intoxicated. "My Asura. You've returned... Tell me! Tell me! What did you do? Why didn't you return?" The stern and feared duchess sounded like a soft and lovely girl. The nobles became shocked, and Valerie stumbled forward, her face as bad as Verana before he kissed her.

"Don't worry about this, Verana..." Asura hugged her tighter, ignoring the nobles, ignoring the world, just happy to be reunited with her.

'Just one person! I realise how precious she is!'

"Have faith in me, and everything will be okay," Asura whispered in a deep voice. Slowly, she gazed at the nobles, jealously looking at the couple.

'Somehow... These nobles do not have malicious intent toward me or Verana; they just seem to enjoy gossip. Valerie looks exhausted and depressed. This girl doesn't change even thousands of years later!'

Asura accepted his life as Sura and Auros. Thus, he remembered all the past shared with Valerie and planned to honour those memories and actions if she desired.

"Lord Asura! How good it is for you to return," the current Duchess Valerie's eyes filled with tears as she took out a handkerchief and started dabbing her face.

"Valerie, stop calling me Lord Asura." His voice caused the female nobles to gasp and speak little rumours.

However, Valerie's death glare caused them to flee like mice caught by a group of cats. "Hmmm... then what do I call you? Son?" Valerie seemed confused and determined to tease the man that her daughter loved with all her heart.

Asura chuckled and accepted it, but then over Verana's shoulder. He mouthed the words, "Call me husband, little Val~ or I'll spank your butt." When she saw those words, a sudden jolt struck her because Asura made the silver sword appear with his right hand. The sword of her former lover.

Of course, this caused her to look shocked, then angry, and finally gazing at her daughter, who was currently kissing his neck with a complicated glance and both hands clenched. 'Ah... technically, these girls are like my soul daughters now!?'

"Very well! Fufu~" Valerie nodded. "Son, we should go inside so you can explain your disappearance. Will you leave him to me, dear daughter?" Valerie spoke, making Verana annoyed as she clutched him tighter.

"No... he's mine, and I won't let him go."

Asura stayed silent but sighed. He embraced her delicate body and followed her mother into the castle. He listened to Verana and her mother ask a dozen questions, such as, "Where were you?"

"Inside the tower, I finished all the floors..."

"Did you finish all the trials?"

"Yes... and some were difficult, but I managed..."

"Really... then that means you should have a stronger and better version of the trials," Verana muttered. "Then... what next, Asura?"

She looked at him hopefully and clutched his arm like a lifeline, but at least it didn't hurt him.

"I think the South is important, but I want our engagement announced, along with my engagement to Vela, Mu Xue from Fenix, Xavida from the Demon Empire, and finally, Lorem, the royal knight."

Asura had thought of many things, and it would take him a day or two to read the reports on the kingdom and the known world. However, he knew that war was on the horizon, so it wouldn't do much to waste time.

The engagement was just something physical to give to the women, a kind of bond he wanted them all to feel they had, even if he seemed greedy or lustful to them.

'As for Lucia... you know your dad will beat my ass if I named you like this. Let me meet Glade first...' He felt her inside his shadow, a light giggle because she knew him most after Helliana; while dealing with the countess, Helliana slept in his hair, her body almost hidden because their hair and feathers matched colour.

Asura felt guilt towards Lucia because when he suffered in the tower, so did she.

He didn't know if she gained anything because, since that moment, she had yet to recover. Lucia could communicate with him but seemed stuck in his shadow temporarily.

"Oh yeah... Asura, you seem different..." Verana whispered, as they sat in the private room to deal with things. "You smell...amazing, but a new aura? A nice smell of flowers, fruit and fire... and your strength feels different." She snuggled close, trying to imagine where the smell came from.

'Really? Well, I was reborn... The Asura you knew, can I be completely sure we are the same? I am an existence of four other lives merged...' He felt a little sense of loss but also accepted the gains were far greater.'