The young elves felt a considerable amount of envy toward Celia, but not a trace of jealousy.
They simply found her adorable and well-suited for Liam.
They felt relieved that Liam wasn't a violent man and happy for Celia.
As for the male elves, most had already seen Liam during the construction of the houses, so seeing him again now was nothing special.
Their greatest curiosity was still reserved for Celia.
Due to a shortage of newborns,in the year Celia was born, almost the entire clan, young and old, gathered around curiously to see her.
She had essentially grown up under the watchful eyes of the elves.
Twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye, and in the eyes of most elves in the clan, Celia still seemed like a child who hadn't quite grown up.
But recently, this always amiable, well-behaved, and sensible younger brother had suddenly transformed into a cute female elf—a younger sister.
Moreover, she had brought substantial help to the clan.
Without Celia, even the contract signed by the clan leader himself would likely have failed, inevitably resulting in severe backlash from the contract.
Thus, in the eyes of her clansmen, Celia was viewed with a mix of astonishment and emotion.
Many elves gazed at Celia from a distance, itching to go over and speak with her, but with Liam present, not a single one dared to approach.
Liam first walked to the withered tree the young girl was leaning against, casually broke off a branch extending from the trunk, and held it horizontally in front of him as a casting tool before closing his eyes again.
In an instant, the natural mana around the Eternal Tree seemed to ripple, stirring up a gust of highly pressurized wind.
Even the pulsating deep blue light on the extended branches grew noticeably brighter.
From the outside, even under the harsh sunlight, the sight was startling.
This change not only made Celia's scalp tingle but also caused the elves training under the shade of the Eternal Tree to halt their movements completely, staring as if they had seen a ghost.
Throughout the vast, boundless forest, all flowing natural mana originated from the Eternal Tree.
Tracing back ten thousand years, to the moment the first elf was born—the first seed borne of the Tree of Life.
That elf was connected to the Tree of Life by blood, as she was originally a part of it, thus enabling her to freely manipulate the natural mana released by the Tree of Life.
This bloodline passed down through generations, which is the fundamental reason why only elves can control natural mana.
But Liam, as a demon, could not only harness natural mana but also shake the entire Eternal Tree—a spectacle only seen in elves born from the Fruit of Life.
"Lord Liam, what are you...?"
Celia was left speechless. She had just been in heat, and now, witnessing this, she felt slightly dried up.
Liam merely waved his hand slightly, and the massive amount of natural mana around him began to circulate.
At the tip of the branch where mana gathered, flowing light converged on the earthen ground.
The originally barren soil gradually sprouted flowers and grass, quickly covering an area of ten square meters at their feet.
"Vine Force..."
A young woman named Anna slowly walked over from under the shade of the Eternal Tree.
She clasped her hands in front of her abdomen, her expression slightly altered as she asked:
"Lord Liam, if I'm not mistaken, could you be the Demon King?"
She was the most experienced among these elves and had arrived at this conjecture with a single glance.
Liam looked up at her, his tone as casual as if discussing the most mundane matter.
"Did I not mention it?"
Demon King!
Upon hearing this, Celia's mind exploded.
Liam had openly admitted to being the Demon King!
Her husband...was actually the Demon King?
Confronted with this shocking truth, she had just dried up.
The day concluded with Liam's display of power.
In the eyes of Celia and the other elves, it seemed more like a performance.
The initial magic was relatively normal, but as it progressed, it became increasingly absurd.
Liam even demonstrated many spells that even the elves had long forgotten.
Evening.
On a path shrouded in twilight.
"Lord Liam, are you really the Demon King?"
Even now, whenever Celia thought about her "husband's" identity, her heart raced. She had held back the entire journey but finally couldn't resist asking again.
Liam walked ahead with steady steps, though his strides were rather large.
Celia followed quickly, sweating profusely from the effort.
She secretly grumbled, suspecting Liam was doing it on purpose—trying to make her unable to keep up, so that just like in the morning, when she ran out of energy, she'd be forced to be carried on his shoulder with no way down.
"Yes, and no."
His tone was flat.
Celia grew even more confused.
She still held the branch Liam had broken off that morning, turning her head to look up at his flawless, pale profile.
Liam had given her this branch, claiming it was more powerful than an ordinary one, capable of releasing stronger mana.
"To be precise, I am only a Demon King candidate, possessing a small portion of the Demon King's authority."
"So it's just a candidate..."
She lowered her eyes.
Hearing the truth,
Celia was so disappointed!
"Then... will you become the real Demon King in the future?"
She asked softly, "Will you become very fierce? Like in the stories? Living in a dark castle, losing your temper every day?"
But then again,as a Demon King candidate, Liam was already so fierce and violent, tormenting her to the point of exhaustion every night.
Celia didn't dare imagine what would happen if this man became the full Demon King.
"I have no interest in becoming the Demon King. I only wish to defeat all previous Demon Kings."
"Huh?"
The conversation abruptly ended.
The two walked side by side. Usually, when Liam didn't speak, Celia never initiated conversation, but now, she had many questions on her mind.
"Lord Liam," she spoke again.
"Speak."
"It's just... when will you be leaving?"
Celia's gaze fell on the sandy soil being repeatedly trampled underfoot, her voice so soft it seemed afraid of disturbing something.
As she asked, she unconsciously tensed up.
Even she herself didn't know why she had suddenly asked this.
"When am I leaving?"
Liam frowned, a hint of anger in his tone.
"Are you hoping I leave soon?"
"No..."
Celia immediately denied, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.
The next moment, the man suddenly burst into laughter.
Celia hurriedly looked up, her delicate face instantly paling from fright.
He's insane!
She had no idea what he was thinking...
With this terrifying demeanor, was he going to hit her?
She fearfully shrank back.
Liam crouched down and grabbed Celia's shoulders, raising his voice: "You said no? Then what is it? Tell me."
"What... I, um... that is..."
Celia stammered.
Unclear if Liam was deliberately toying with her, she wanted to explain...
But such words were impossible to utter.
It seemed Liam was forcing her...