The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

”Brother Nolan, what are we going to do today? Are we going to practice again?”

Chloe looked at Nolan curiously.

Nolan tossed another piece of wood into the campfire before him and smiled at her.

”No, Chloe. We won’t be practicing today.”

”Huh? Then are we going for a walk?”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Nolan shook his head.

”No. We won’t be going for a walk either.”

”Then?” Chloe tilted her head.

Nolan looked at her gently and ruffled her hair.

”Chloe, I’m going to take you to your new home.”

The smile on Chloe’s face instantly froze. A moment later, her face turned pale.

”B-Brother Nolan... are you going to abandon me?”

Tears quickly welled up in the corners of her eyes. She grabbed the sleeve of his robe and held on tightly, as if afraid he would disappear the moment she let go.

Nolan gently wiped away her tears and smiled.

”It’s not like that,” he said. ”I just can’t stay with you for a while. There’s somewhere I need to go.”

”I don’t want that!”

Chloe’s tears flowed even harder. She threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.

”I don’t want you to leave! Brother Nolan, please don’t go! Did I do something wrong? If I did, I’d do anything you want! Just please don’t leave me! I don’t want to be alone!”

Her voice trembled as tears streamed down her face, filled with fear and desperation.

Ever since Nolan saved her, Chloe had come to see him as her entire world.

The demon race had cast her aside, and she had no family left. Only Nolan... only Nolan was family to her.

If he left, Chloe knew she would be devastated. She had nowhere else to go but by his side.

Seeing her tears, a trace of sadness appeared on Nolan’s face. However, he knew that sooner or later, he would have to leave this world.

It was better to tell Chloe the truth now than keep it from her.

Nolan picked her up and gently placed her on his lap.

As he stroked her head, he said softly, ”Do you know? Actually, I’m not from this world.”

Chloe’s sobs came to an abrupt stop. She lifted her tear-streaked face and asked in a hoarse voice, ”You’re not from this world? What do you mean?”

Nolan pinched her chubby cheek and explained, ”I’m not from this era. I come from a time a thousand years in the future.”

Chloe’s body stiffened, and her eyes widened in shock.

”You’re from the future? Brother Nolan, are you serious?”

”I’m serious.” Nolan nodded. ”And today or tomorrow, I’ll most likely return to where I belong. There’s nothing I can do about it because I was never meant to be part of this era. That’s why I need to find a home for you as soon as possible. Only then can I be sure that you’ll be able to live comfortably, even without me by your side.”

The matter of time travel wasn’t something he needed to hide from her.

What’s more, this was a much better way to tell her. At the very least, Chloe wouldn’t have to live with confusion, constantly wondering why he had left her.

Chloe fell quiet. It took her a moment to process everything Nolan had said.

But she understood one thing. Nolan didn’t belong here. Sooner or later, he would have to return to his own time.

She opened her mouth a few times, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

”So, do you understand now?” Nolan asked.

His voice pulled Chloe out of her thoughts.

Tears quickly filled her eyes again. Without saying a word, she threw her arms around Nolan and hugged him tightly.

It was hard to imagine a life without him. But she knew it couldn’t be avoided. Sooner or later, Nolan would leave.

Just thinking about it made her chest hurt.

Nolan didn’t say anything else. He simply patted her head and let her stay in his arms until she calmed down.

Fifteen minutes later, the girl finally settled down. She lifted her head and looked at Nolan with sad eyes.

”Brother, I understand,” she said in a heavy voice. ”I-I’ll live wherever you want me to. B-But can you spend some time with me one last time?”

Nolan smiled gently.

”Of course. I’ll take you all over the continent. There are still a lot of amazing places I haven’t shown you yet.”

The sadness on Chloe’s face disappeared instantly, replaced by a bright, innocent smile.

”Mhm! Let’s go!”

…

The capital of the Demon Empire, Mal’Zareth…

Tension hung over the city of Mal’Zareth.

The streets were completely empty. Not a single demon could be seen.

They had all taken shelter underground, waiting for the coming battle.

”Hahaha! Those damn humans will be here soon! Good! I’ve been waiting for this!”

A demon over two meters tall stood atop one of the capital’s massive fortresses.

He had the head of a bull and a body covered in thick, bulging muscles. Just standing there, he gave off a terrifying presence.

A giant axe nearly a meter long hung across his back.

He was Jaggermonth—one of the strongest demon generals in the Demon Empire.

Normally, he remained stationed in the capital of Mal’Zareth and never left his post unless ordered directly by the Demon Emperor.

But today was different.

The human army was approaching the capital, and he had personally come to greet them.

”Don’t underestimate the enemy. They’re incredibly strong. They even managed to defeat Lilithra and several other demon generals. If you’re careless, you’ll end up as nothing more than a corpse.”

A cold voice sounded from behind him.

Jaggermonth glanced over his shoulder and saw Yuria standing there with an indifferent expression.

”Tch! You’re just a weak woman who knows nothing. Just watch. I’ll show you what true power looks like!” he declared proudly.

Yuria rolled her eyes. Still, she knew Jaggermonth possessed the strength to back up his arrogance.

After all, he had received the blessing of the Demon God.

Suddenly, dark clouds appeared in the distance. The once-clear sky gradually became overcast.

Jaggermonth narrowed his eyes before a wide grin spread across his face.

”Hahaha! They’ve finally arrived!” he laughed loudly. ”I’ve been waiting for those humans for the past two days. And now, they’re finally here. Time to get to work!”

He pulled the giant axe from his back and leaped from the fortress wall, dropping dozens of meters to the ground below.

Yuria wanted to stop him, but she was too late.

”Hah... He’s as stubborn and annoying as ever,” she grumbled in irritation.

***

The Demon Emperor sat calmly upon his throne, clad in deep crimson armor.

It was forged from a rare material found only along the edge of a great chasm on the Western Continent.

Its durability surpassed that of any other armor in the world, making it the finest armor he had ever worn.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed through the hall. Moments later, a soldier rushed inside with a panicked expression.

”Your Majesty, they have arrived!”

The Demon Emperor Zerathos slowly opened his eyes and grinned.

”Good. It’s time to begin our revenge.”