Chapter 157.1
Stella was the younger sister of Opal Von Bellhawk, who was hailed as a hero who defeated the Demon King.
While her brother Opal bled on the battlefield alongside heroes from other families, Stella spent her days lazing in the family mansion.
As everyone knew, the final battle against the Demon King was extremely brutal and intense, leaving significant scars all over the world.
The Bellhawk family, consisting of skilled Elves excelling in magic, archery and commerce, wasn’t an exception, suffering numerous casualties and material losses.
However, for Stella, the problem wasn’t the war itself but what came after it.
“They didn’t like the fact that I was at home while everyone else was bleeding. So they kicked me out of the family and now I’m stuck in Ark!”
“I see…”
“Why are you talking as if you’re hearing it for the first time? You probably already know this story, don’t you?”
“Even I can’t know everything, you know.”
There was not much mention of the Bellhawk Family in the original novel.
Perhaps it was due to the Elves’ reclusive nature, as they didn’t reveal themselves much even during the events of the main story.
Even after becoming Theo, I still didn’t have much info regarding them. There were so many things I didn’t know about the woman right in front of me.
“Still, my time as an undergraduate was fun. We went on numerous adventures together. Anyway, what was I talking about?”
“Why Solomon made the Imps.”
“Oh yeah… Well, I don’t know either. But according to my brother, it was the last conscience the Demon King had.”
“His last conscience?”
“Solomon Angmar had quite a few Nymphs by his side. Nymphs are generally innocent and harmless. They also have excellent empathy, so you won’t be bored if you have one as your companion.”
“Really?”
“You didn’t know? Kings who are busy with government affairs and dealing with people usually appoint Nymphs as secretaries to find stability. You can find all of this in the Angmar Royal Records or read my paper, ‘The King and Nymphs.’ “
“Okay.”
Having a Nymph to de-stress.
It was like having a pet.
Thinking about it, someone came to mind. Aira, the current Queen of Angmar.
Was Aira the same in this case, with me being her “pet”?
However, I couldn’t fault Aira for that as I was also looking at Marmar in a similar light.
Not that I was treating her as a pet, but rather Marmar didn’t lie to me and was generally a good companion without wearing any facade. Being with her brought me peace of mind.
Stella continued.
“But Solomon was especially fond of Nymphs even in the Angmar Court. He established the Nymph Relief Foundation, the Nymph Relief Act, Nymph Pension, Nymph Allocation System, Nymph Anti-Discrimination Act, Nymph—. Anyway, he made a lot.”
… Just how much did he like Nymphs?
It was a side of him that didn’t seem like that of a ruthless Demon King. Of course, there were unexpected aspects to even someone as cruel as Hitler, the nightmare of World War II, who created animal protection laws…
“But that was the problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“When Solomon was still a young King, the Nymph he cherished died. Solomon began to dabble in necromancy, black magic, divination, and temporal magic in an attempt to revive the fairy. And well, we all know the result….”
This was the first time I’d heard this.
I had perused many history books in this world, but I only knew that he went crazy after attaining never-before-seen heights of magic. There was actually no record as to why he wanted to increase his magical prowess.
Perhaps future generations deliberately erased it to truly destroy the Angmar Family itself.
However, Elves were a long-lived species.
As a living witness of history, Stella knew things that weren’t recorded.
“In the end, there’s one lesson to be learned. Even as a Demon King who reached the 10th Rank, you still can’t fully resurrect the dead. You simply can’t turn back time.”
‘I see.’
The Demon King, who had felt like a distant character in my imagination, was gradually turning into a real person. Was he trying to defy the laws of life and death in this world through magic?
How would I have reacted if it were me?
With 10th Rank magic.
If a cherished friend or family member were to die, could I avoid making the same choice as the Demon King?
I couldn’t be sure because I had never been in such a situation. It was a difficult question. I suddenly felt a bit melancholic. Was it because of the unique sensitivity of a Half-Fairy?
So, neither Stella nor I said a word after that. Then Stella lightly asked, probably finding this silence awkward.
“You seem quite intrigued? Are you interested in the Demon King Angmar?”
“It’s not like that.”
I responded casually to Stella, but since I felt that this answer alone might raise suspicions, I added a few more words.
“It’s because I’m a Half-Nymph. I’m interested in the story of Nymphs.”
“Right, you are a Half-Nymph. What a fascinating being. Isn’t it strange how a Half-Nymph can be born when Nymphs can’t have children?”
“Nymphs can’t have children!?”
“That’s right. They all look like young girls who are just entering puberty. According to the church, it’s to protect the Nymphs from men.”
That was what I’d heard too.
The reason Nymphs forever maintained the appearance of young girls was said to be because the Gwangyeom God did so to protect them.
Keeping them forever as children and allowing them to live eternally innocent and unharmed.
Of course, that was just what the church claimed and no one really knew the truth.
Stella then continued.
“Nymphs are similar to human or elven girls who haven’t experienced their first menstruation, so they can’t have children.”
“Then how are Half-Nymphs born?”
“That’s why I want to study you! A Half-Nymph is a very rare existence in the world. There’s no clear explanation of where or how they came into existence.”
“I see…”
I almost nodded my head unknowingly at Stella’s words.
- Edited by: faker