Free Web NovelChapter 966: The Festival
Three days had passed since the war ended and Yuan and the others returned to the palace. All the barricades throughout the empire had been dismantled as the atmosphere of the empire gradually returned to normal.
And today was a significant day for the Demonic Empire—not only for the Demonic Empire but for every nation across the Demonic Continent.
Today was the day the soldiers would finally return to the city after winning the war against the Undead Legion, having risked their lives to protect everyone on the continent.
The Capital City of the Demonic Empire had completed all preparations to welcome the brave soldiers, following the ancestral traditions that had been passed down since the founding of the empire.
Every street was adorned with decorations, lanterns, and flowers, giving the city an entirely new charm.
People lined up along the entrance roads, eagerly waiting for the soldiers to arrive so they could give them a grand welcome.
A few moments later, moving carriages and a long line of soldiers could be seen in the far distance, gradually drawing closer to the city.
"They are here! They are here!"
"I can see them! They’ve returned!!"
"Oh... They’re still quite far away. It will probably take another hour before they arrive."
The guards stationed atop the city walls shouted excitedly as they were the first to spot the returning soldiers from the battlefield.
Everyone became excited upon hearing the news, and the anticipation among the people increased a thousandfold.
"Did you hear that? The soldiers are coming back!"
"Yes, they’ll be here at any moment now!"
The people could hardly contain their excitement as countless whispers filled the air, while children jumped around with huge smiles on their faces.
Some time later, the allied forces finally arrived before the city gates. Their carriages came to a halt, with a long line of soldiers marching behind them on foot.
Cheers erupted as the carriages began moving through the lines of people standing on both sides of the road. It felt more like a grand parade than a military return.
The citizens tossed flowers toward the soldiers as they entered the city, welcoming the brave men and women who had risked their lives to protect them.
"Quite the poetic welcome, don’t you think?" Yuan asked with a smile as he looked at his mother while watching the entire scene from the rooftop of a nearby building.
"Indeed," Anna Grace replied with a smile before continuing, "However, I think the soldiers deserve such a welcome from the people they protected while putting their lives on the line."
"I agree with Mother-in-law. They truly deserve this kind of welcome," Valeria added with a smile as she rose to her feet.
"Shall we return to the palace now? I have no interest in participating in any of the formalities," Yuan said to his wives as he turned to leave.
"You all can go. I have a duty to fulfill as the princess. I’ll join you later," Nerith said.
"Alright. Go meet your brother and the others. We’ll be in our rooms," Yuan replied before flying toward the palace.
Anna Grace and the others followed closely behind him, while Nerith headed toward her brother and the rest of the allied leaders.
—
Emperor Rhex and the rulers of the other nations gathered at the city square and addressed the citizens who had been eagerly waiting for their return.
He also announced that a grand celebration would be held at the palace later that day to commemorate the victory against the Undead Legion.
It would be a celebration dedicated to maintaining peace and harmony among the nations, honoring the unity that had ultimately brought them victory.
Once all the formalities had been completed, the Emperor ordered the guards to set up camps for the soldiers of the other nations so they could rest and recover from their long journey.
The Emperor invited King Evander, King Vargan, and Queen Lilith to the palace so they could rest for a while before the banquet began.
After all, the banquet would not start until noon, giving them more than enough time to rest and prepare themselves.
At the palace, Empress Varia finally had the opportunity to properly reunite with her husband, who had just returned from the battlefield.
"I’m so glad that you’ve returned safely and unharmed... You have no idea how worried I was about you until Nerith brought us the news of our victory."
Empress Varia immediately embraced her husband and rested her head against his chest. Tears streamed down her face as she quietly sobbed in relief.
Emperor Rhex became emotional as well and wrapped his strong arms around his wife’s soft body, feeling a warmth he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
"I know... I was always thinking about you, even while fighting on the battlefield," he whispered softly, his voice filled with emotion.
"However, I was powerless to end the war any sooner... or to prevent our soldiers from losing their lives..."
Empress Varia pulled away from the embrace and looked at him with a gentle smile. "It wasn’t your fault, Husband. Our enemy was simply too powerful. There was nothing you could have done to change the outcome on your own."
"But still—" However, Empress Varia did not allow him to finish and continued speaking.
"Even so, you did everything you could to save them. You fought to protect them instead of abandoning them. You faced the enemy head-on and brought victory to our people," she said with a warm smile, trying to ease the burden weighing heavily on his shoulders.
Although her words were not enough to completely erase the guilt he carried, they were enough to make him feel somewhat more at ease.
As a devoted wife who had sworn to spend her entire life with him, through both happiness and sorrow, she could not bear to see her husband so burdened and depressed.
"Now tell me everything that happened during the war. Nerith gave me a brief explanation, but I want to know everything without missing a single detail," Empress Varia said as she sat on the bed, her expression becoming serious.
Emperor Rhex let out a soft sigh and sat beside her before beginning to recount everything that had happened during the war, from beginning to end, without leaving out a single detail.
Empress Varia listened silently without interrupting, carefully taking in every detail while occasionally nodding her head.
"I see... So it would have been impossible to win the war without Yuan and the others..." Empress Varia sighed softly, unable to believe just how dangerous the situation had truly been.
"Indeed. Without their help, I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you right now," Emperor Rhex replied.
"It seems we owe them an enormous debt that we don’t even know how to repay... I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened without their assistance during the war."
"They have helped us immensely... I honestly don’t know how we can repay the kindness they’ve shown us. We managed to win this war entirely because of them."
Empress Varia fell silent for a moment after hearing her husband’s words, and then she suddenly remembered something.
"Come to think of it... Our dear Princess seems to be quite close to him for some reason. I’ve seen her spending a lot of time with him lately. She hasn’t even gone to train once since returning from the battlefield."
Emperor Rhex thought about it for a moment before replying, "Now that you mention it... I think so too. After all, Yuan even gave her a priceless and mysterious treasure capable of storing things inside."
"Huh? He gave her a gift? That’s surprising. She never mentioned anything like that to me..." Empress Varia said, visibly shocked and momentarily speechless after hearing this revelation.
"Now that is something I find very interesting... I wonder what that girl is thinking after accepting something so valuable and mysterious."
"Heh... She has always been clumsy and completely clueless when it comes to romance. I can’t even imagine her being involved with a man," Emperor Rhex said with a helpless sigh.
"Well, it can’t really be helped. She’s quite inexperienced when it comes to that sort of thing," Empress Varia replied with a sigh of her own.
At noon, the entire city was illuminated by countless lanterns, making it look incredibly beautiful as people celebrated the defeat of the Undead Legion.
The streets were packed with people, and all kinds of street vendors were selling a wide variety of delicious food to the citizens.
Not only that, but many different events had also been organized for children to enjoy. Even adults were participating enthusiastically since it was such a joyous occasion.
Everywhere throughout the city, people laughed, chatted, and shared drinks with one another, both young and old, while lively music filled the air.
Some people were dancing, some were enjoying delicious food, while others were simply taking in the unique atmosphere of the city alongside their loved ones.
Many couples could be seen strolling through the streets, enjoying the festive atmosphere while sampling the various street delicacies.
Yuan and the others had arrived at the City Square, the heart of the celebration.
They were all amazed by the beautiful sight before them, taking in the vibrant atmosphere and lively scenery surrounding the streets.
While Yuan and the others were focused on the festivities and the overall atmosphere, Xi Meili and Little Zoe were entirely focused on the delicious aroma of food lingering in the air, their noses twitching as they eagerly followed the scent.
"Hubby, let’s go get some of those and those over there...!" Xi Meili excitedly shook Yuan’s arm while pointing toward several food vendors nearby.
"Sure. Let’s go try some, shall we?" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Yuan then led everyone toward the food stalls and ordered food for the entire group.
Once they finished eating, they immediately moved on to another vendor and ordered even more food.
They practically visited every food stall they came across, tasting nearly every dish being sold throughout the festival.
At the same time, they didn’t forget to enjoy the festival itself, which was the main attraction of the celebration.
