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With my character as a guarantee, I swore that whole incident with Mo Ning was entirely an accident. And that was why I couldn’t be blamed either for wanting to ride her, probably…

As I galloped ahead with Mo Na and Cinderel in my arms, our destination this time was the habitat of the Fire Elementals. Following closely behind me was the Cerberus couple, Sasani and Sinmosa. Above me were Jeerah and the representative sent by the Purgatory Shadowcats to accompany me, Masrow.

Our entourage was headed to the habitat of the Fire Elementals with the rest of the Abyssal Golems in tow in order to retrieve one of the required ingredients, a core of an Eight-star Fire Elemental, and also the heart of an Eight-star Fire Devouring Fish.

The Fire Elementals were allies with another clan friendly to me, the Demon Fire Salamanders, because they had a common nemesis, the Fire Devouring Fishes. Of the two ingredients mentioned, that fish heart was probably going to be the most troublesome to get, even with the Fire Elementals’ help. After all, I had only seen a Six-star fish up till now but nothing higher. However, I had a rough guess as to how to find an Eight-star, assuming it even existed.

“Relax, there will definitely be one.” Ferti’nier suddenly popped up with that bit of revelation. Yet before I could even clarify this matter further, she actually went silent once more without any warning. Did I do something weird?

If I had to describe the relationship between the Fire Elementals and the Fire Devouring Fishes, it would be that of a prey and its hunter. The Demon Fire Salamanders were on equally hostile terms with these fishes, making them perfect allies for each other. Because of that, there were probably no other clans who knew more about the Fire Devouring Fishes than the Demon Fire Salamanders and the Fire Elementals. That was why I decided to pay the Fire Elementals a visit, in hopes of getting an Eight-star core while also procuring some intelligence.

“Mama, are we going to visit those fire spitting people now?” She asked while tugging on my wrist and leaning in, her own arms still wrapped around Cinderel. She looked up at me and pouted. “Mo Na doesn’t like them, they are mean.”

Our last encounter with them did start off rather unpleasantly because of their brash behaviour, or rather arrogance. However, that bit of arrogance only seemed like childishness to me, because they didn’t have the strength to back up that arrogance.

The Fire Elementals had an obvious weakness, and that was their absolute helplessness against the Fire Devouring Fishes. The last time we encountered them, we easily defeated them simply because we had equipment made from the bones of said fish… Truly, it was the very definition of an epic fail.

It seemed like another encounter was inevitable this time around. Hopefully, that fellow had learnt lesson or I would have to resort to brute force again.

I prodded Mo Na on her little cheeks. “That’s because Papa needs their help.”

Because the Fire Elementals lived in a lava lake, that meant that my golems were basically dead weight since they couldn’t swim. With my biggest trump card sealed off like that, that meant I had to resort to other methods, like those equipment I mentioned before, along with my new allies.

The Purgatory Shadowcats, the Hellhounds and the Purgatory Warhorses could all be considered my allies now. Along with me were three representatives from their respective clans. With such a showing, they most likely wouldn’t try to start any trouble with me, or perhaps I should say that I wouldn’t have to bully them too much…

‘Whether it was by force or by deception, what mattered was I got that core.’

‘If everything proceeded according to plan, I might even be able to get them to help me locate Nola, assuming that the elemental to greet us this time had a better temperament than Arca…’

‘It had been some time since we last saw Nola. Before leaving, she mentioned she was heading home, who knew if she actually made it back in the end, or was just wandering around right now.’

‘Those salamanders should have had more dealings with the Fire Devouring Fishes as well, so if there was anyone who had information on an Eight-star fish, it would be them.’

Just as I was mulling over how to procure those two ingredients, the silent up till now Mo Ning suddenly spoke up with an earth-shattering question. “Dearest, is little Mo Na your daughter?”

“… Please don’t address me as dearest.”

Mo Ning innocently batted her eyes at me. “But we’re already engaged.”

“Please don’t…I’m about to cry.”

“Why are you about to cry, dearest?” Mo Ning threw me a concerned look. “Little Mo Na is really adorable.”

‘Me crying has nothing to do with Mo Na… it’s about you calling me dearest. Ahhhh…all that nonsense about being engaged is fine and dandy, as long as it’s a cute girl we’re talking about. Why is it I’m engaged to a horse! What went wrong in my life!? Why must I suffer so… what did I do to deserve this…’

Naturally, she had no way of knowing what I was thinking right now, but that didn’t stop her aggravating me further whether on purpose or by sheer coincidence. As we continued riding on, she maintained eye contact with me even as we passed by an undulating stretch of road. For some strange reason, this ride was extremely smooth. I had no horse whip or saddle to control her galloping, but it still felt extremely smooth riding on her, perhaps even better than driving a car.

‘You know. If you’re willing to cancel that whole engagement thing, we can still be friends…’

After a few hours of being together, I gained a rough understanding of who Mo Ning was as a horse. During battle, she was icy cold. Silent. But once you got to know her, she slowly became a lively, warm horse.

“Actually… Mo Na isn’t my real daughter…” I knew Mo Na was well aware of this fact as well, but this was the first time I said it out loud. I could feel her shifting uncomfortably in my arms the moment I said that. Her body stiffened a little but this situation only lasted a few seconds before she quickly recovered into a more comfortable position.

“Mo Na’s mother was an Imp. In order to save me, she ended up being captured by the enemies. By the time we saved her, she was already pregnant…” I gently patted Mo Na on the head then said softly. “I bestowed the name Mo Ci on her.”

Speaking of Mo Ci, I couldn’t help but feel a pang in my heart. I rarely thought about those who died, because I was a person that easily lost himself in grief. Once I entered such a state, leaving was hard. Whether it was now or then, such an emotional state wasn’t allowed. That was why I avoided thinking about those who died on our journey, though I would still think to myself sometimes how great it would be to have them back again.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

The journey up till now had seen a great number who sacrificed themselves for me. I had never once forgotten about their sacrifice, I just did not want to recall those painful memories… because I was now in a spot where I couldn’t retreat nor show weakness. The apocalypse was coming soon, and the current me didn’t even possess the right to take part in that battle. Other than thinking about ways to strengthen myself, I had no time for other matters.

Perhaps it was because I had gone silent for a long while, or perhaps it was because of the undisguised grief I was displaying right now, Mo Ning couldn’t help but interrupt my reminiscing. “So what happened to little Mo Na’s mother?”

“Dead.” I breathed in deeply at that point and hugged my little baby even tighter, taking in that comforting scent she gave off. “While incubating, a Devil’s egg requires a lot of mana… she could have given up then, but that would mean that only she lived… and that was she gave up… gave up on her life… in order to hatch her…”

Mo Na’s birth meant the death of Mo Ci. I was fighting outside at that point, but if I was by her side then, she wouldn’t have died no matter what. I could have given her some of the souls I had harvested. Failing that, I could have even given her some of the Small Imps I had under me… but… but there were no buts in this world…

“So that’s how you became Mo Na’s mama?”

“Papa.” I strongly emphasized that point.

Her eyes went wide. “… But you’re clearly a female, so shouldn’t it be mama?”

“An accident happened so my current body has no gender, but my soul is definitely a male’s.” I simply left it at that, either way it wasn’t like there were many who believed me.

“Whatever you say then, as long as you’re not a male.”

‘Mo Ning seems to like females… well, that’s her life to live… as long as it’s not a male homosexual we’re talking about… otherwise I have to burn him.’

Putting aside that issue for now, I gently kissed Mo Na on her head and said, “Baby, your papa will love you forever.”

“Mhm, Mo Na loves her mama too!” She leaned in and spun her head around a little before closing her eyes to sleep.

“You can sleep in papa’s arms for now. Later…” Before I could finish that sentence however, something happened ahead. I could feel a torrent of mana gathering before a rift spanning two meters wide tore open the dimensional space ahead. The rift itself resembled a shattered mirror, and as I got closer, I could feel it beckoning to me. Within the voids of dimensional space, I could vaguely hear someone praying for me to descend.

‘That’s…’

“A summoning. And it seems to be of the highest tier as well.” Ferti’nier finally broke her silence to explain. “I felt a disturbance just now -so it was to construct this Summoning Gate.”

‘Summoning? So there is a caster somewhere summoning me? But shouldn’t it pull me directly over there… at least that was what happened with that deplorable Occultist.”

“You were too weak in the past, plus the offering was quite bountiful.” As she said that, I could picture her smirking in my mind. “This time, it’s different. You have three Original Sins, and have even gained the title of a Devil Overlord. Even though your strength is still that of a Four-star’s, your position is already the equivalent of an Overlord’s. You have the right to refuse this summoning, but I do not suggest you do so. Because even if you cross over, you can still come back at any time.”

Shameless Self-promotion

If you liked my work translating Devil’s Evolution Catalog, feel free to check out Song of Adolescence. Also, every comment is appreciated even though I might not reply. I do read them.

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In my heart, the Hellhounds’ clan head was always the more reliable Overlord out of everyone present here; if there was anything I wanted to know, asking him was the better choice. With that in mind, I softly asked, “About those weird looks you guys are giving me…”

“Hahaha… what are you talking about?”

Before that Cerberus could even answer my question, the Overlord Cat butted in, all the while winking at me in a fashion that somehow made his already punchable cat face even more punchable. Assuming I could punch him, of course.

‘What do you mean what am I talking about? What else could I be talking about?!’

“Ahem. From now on, you have to make sure to provide her a good life.”

The Hellhounds’ clan head finally spoke up, but his words just seemed so foreign to me… what the potato did he mean when he said I had to provide her a good life? Wasn’t it just a simple pact about being my mount? It wasn’t like we just got engaged, let alone married. So why did I have to provide for her…

‘Shi– did I just fall into another trap?’

“Judging by that look on your face, I think you’ve guessed the reason as well.” The Overlord Cat gleefully reminded me. “What you just signed was an engagement pact, don’t cha know~~”

“…”

‘I… I… I just wanted a mount… why the potato did you guys do this to me?!’

“Hahahaha…I can’t take it anymore… I’m dying over here… hahahaha…” Having been silent for a good long while now, Ferti’nier finally couldn’t contain herself from laughing uncontrollably in my head. I could even picture her shapely body jiggling right now as she laughed…

‘You knew about this. You definitely knew about this, didn’t you?!’

“What… that’s just common knowledge.” Ferti’nier giggled as she said that. “ Under normal circumstances, it is forbidden to ride on the backs of the warriors of the Purgatory Warhorse, unless they have the approval of that horse. However, it is only the males of this clan that can become another’s mount. Females are normally barred from this role.”

‘I know she’s a female. That shadowy Nightmare Steed and that corporeal Nightmare Steed also mentioned something about this arrangement violating their ancestral rules, but didn’t Mo Ning still go through with the signing anyway?’

“And that’s where the problem starts.” Ferti’nier knowingly cleared her throat at that point, most likely to frustrate me even further. Upon confirming that I was in fact at my limits, she then proceeded to solve this mystery for me. “Female Purgatory Warhorses can only be mounts for their partners, and when I say partner, I mean the kind you can ride in the day and in the night.”

‘The kind you can ride at night… fishcakes… I’ll admit, I’m about to blow my top right now… that answer was just… I knew I was being played!’

‘Riding in the day is one thing, but I’ll pass on riding her at night… fishcakes… my interests aren’t that unusual yet… No… I need to break off this pact right away…’

“Oh, you can if you want to. But once you do, my dear little brother, you will have to face the undying wrath of the Purgatory Warhorses.” Having said that, her tone changed from her usual mischievous teasing to a darker, more ominous tone. “After all, who likes to be played like that, am I right?”

‘So what you’re saying is that no one likes to be played. So they decided to gang up on me instead? Why must living be so difficult?’

“Nyaa~ Looks like Mo Ning has finally found herself a partner. What a joyous day this is.”

The Overlord Cat’s happy meowing brought me to reality. At this point, there really was nothing left to say. I had suddenly gained a fiancee…rest in pieces me…

“I’ve long heard rumors that the most talented of the young horses actually neighs for the same side… to think it was true.” The Overlord Cerberus clicked his tongue at that point then continued, “I guess anything is possible in this wide world.”

‘That’s right, anything is possible in this wide world, so why are you looking at me when you say that? I’m a normal person, thank you very much. I have no interest in horses!’

“Even though this goes against our ancestral rules, if Mo Ning likes it that way, it can’t be helped.” The shadowy Nightmare Steed tossed her a fatherly look at that point then swept his eyes over to me. He then quietly whispered in the ears of the corporeal Nightmare Steed. “They look quite fitting together.”

‘Fitting, my foot! How do I look fitting with a horse?! Don’t think I can’t hear you just because you’re whispering!’

The corporeal Nightmare Steed unmistakably harrumphed at that point. While he didn’t express his stance on this subject, it was most likely approval for our relationship… hold on, what relationship?

“If both parties are females, they should get on well with each other.”

The shadowy Nightmare Steed seemed to be comforting that corporeal Nightmare Steed, but he still seemed displeased. “All that talk about neighing for the same side… I still think it goes against our ancestors’ wishes…”

‘So when you say it goes against your ancestral rules, it’s not about females not being able to become a mount for another, it’s that you see me in that light?!’

The shadowy Nightmare Steed continued comforting him, “our children have their own lives, just let nature take its course.”

The corporeal Nightmare Steed said no more, neither objecting or approving, clearly his anger was stuck fast in his chest right now.

Now that my battle with Mo Ning was over, it also meant that this entire war was at its end as well, although its end was a lot more different that I had originally envisioned.

I had gained a Nightmare Steed Horn so I had no reason to stay behind either. This outcome wasn’t exactly perfect, but it was passable.

‘Still… wherever I go, Mo Ning goes as well… should I let her have a taste of her own medicine then.’

It was at that moment that Mo Na, with Cinderel hugged snugly in her arms, came flying out of the Devil King Idol and flew right into my arms. With one arm still wrapped around Cinderel, she hugged my neck and wrapped her legs around my waist.

“Mama’s the best!” Her eyes practically screamed with adulation as she pecked at my cheeks , covering them entirely in her saliva.

“Woof woof woof!~~” Cinderel took the opportunity to climb onto my shoulders and lick me as well. From the looks of things, these two were clearly excited at this new turn of events.

Yet just as I was basking in the love of these two little scamps, an extremely displeasing voice cut in from behind me.

“Devil, I will never approve of your inappropriate relationship with Mo Ning!”

Without even turning around, I could already tell that it was Warwraith who said that. The same Six-star elder who had suffered multiple times at my hands. The fact that he would come over to cause trouble was well within my expectations.

After placing the two little scamps back on the ground, I unhappily narrowed my eyes at Warwraith, then spat back, “why don’t you tell me what kind of relationship you hope the both of us will have then?”

“None at all!” Seeing me so defiant merely angered him further. At this point, his nostrils were practically flaring up with the heavy breathes of anger he was taking. “Don’t think that just because you’ve signed that pact you can do as you please. Let me tell you straight up, I won’t allow you to touch my daughter, and don’t even think about trying to ride her, or else…”

“Godfather.” Before he could finish threatening me, Mo Ning abruptly stopped him. “This is my decision.”

“But she’s a female. There’s no future in being with her.”

‘Hold up. Exactly which of those two eyes of yours told you that I was a female?! You’d better watch that horse tongue of yours, otherwise I’ll sue you for libel.’

“It’s alright. I can accept it.” She firmly stated, clearly of the mind that gender wasn’t going to be an issue for her.

“I can’t accept it!” His voice nearly tore up at that point. Having voiced his disapproval, he then turned his barbed tongue to me. “You’d better not have any inappropriate thoughts about my daughter, otherwise I’ll never let you off the hook.”

‘Hmph, you dare to threaten me? Just you wait, I’m going to sleep with your daughter tonight… No, no no… I was wrong, sorry. My tastes aren’t that eclectic yet. I like girls, maybe even Devil girls… but Mo Ning is one hundred percent a horse…I just can’t…’

‘And that’s why I completely agree with you, old horse. If you wish to object to this engagement on the basis of being her godfather, then I’ll oblige in letting you take the blame for it.’

“Since you’re so against this arrangement, I guess it can’t be helped then. I’m willing to…”

“Dearest!” Just as I was about to agree with Warwraith’s objection, Mo Ning unexpectedly barged in with what had to be the most sinister sounding dearest I had ever heard that bored right into my soul.

‘I swear she’s trying to scare me to death with those words of hers. What do you mean dearest…I swear even my goosebumps have goosebumps at this point.’

“I say…I don’t think our relationship has progressed to such a stage yet…so how about we skip on the names for now?”

“Since we are engaged, we are clearly now of one mind and one body.” Mo Ning smiled at me then -don’t ask me how I could tell that a horse was smiling at me, but I just could. In fact, her smile was so sweet I swore she was trying to kill me right now. “Is my dearest trying to renege on his words?”

‘Sister… is it alright if I call you sister… exactly what do you see in me? I’ll change, I swear.’

The pressure from her was just too great for me to bear at this point. I had no choice then but to turn my puppy dog eyes towards Warwraith, in hopes that he would help share this burden with me. Yet my pleading didn’t move him in the slightest. Instead, his animosity seemed to have even grown further.

“You blasted thing! Not only did you steal my daughter, you’re even making fun of me now!”

‘Exactly how was I making fun of you? I was trying to ask for your help, so how about lending a hand for once… you useless horse of an ally…’

“Godfather, please don’t use such harsh words on my dearest.” Mo Ning shielded me right away from his gaze. “Dearest had no intention whatsoever of mocking you.”

“You two haven’t even gotten married yet!” He was practically hopping with fury right now, but there was nothing he could do against Mo Ning, except to pretend that this whole mess never existed in the first place. However, he still made sure to throw out one last statement of defiance.

“Either way, I object to the two of you being together!”

‘And that’s why you don’t mess with a delusional father who has a daughter complex. Exactly how do you think this relationship is even possible?! Please. Just wake up and smell the Purgatory sulphur! I was clearly trying to ask for your help and you actually thought I was mocking you… how bad are your eyes even?!’

Shameless Self-promotion

If you liked my work translating Devil’s Evolution Catalog, feel free to check out Song of Adolescence. Also, every comment is appreciated even though I might not reply. I do read them.