Becoming the Demon Lord: Taming the Demon Queen Begins

"Three days later..."

Timothy couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation for this day.

Reaching the Holy Emperor level had its perks—after four hours of intense training, he didn't feel the slightest bit weak.

He felt completely satisfied, his body relaxed and refreshed.

Rolling his shoulders, Timothy got ready to head to the Blooming Sanctuary to send out some important messages.

But as he passed through the plaza in front of the Goddess's statue, his presence immediately caught the attention of several disciples.

"Brother Timothy, where are you off to?"

A few of them glanced around suspiciously before a small group quickly gathered around him.

"I'm under orders from the Goddess to deliver letters to the Blooming Sanctuary and other sects. I won't be overseeing your training today. You can either train on your own or ask Elder Turner for help."

Assuming they were eager to train, Timothy didn't think much of it and answered directly.

"How long will you be gone, Brother Timothy?" one of the disciples asked, and the group around him grew even larger, their curiosity clearly piqued.

"Hmm?"

Timothy raised an eyebrow, a bit puzzled. Normally, these guys weren't this eager.

After a brief pause, he replied, "If things go smoothly, I'll be back in a day. If not, it could take up to three days. There are quite a few sects I need to deliver these letters to."

"Got it! Don't worry, Brother Timothy! We'll train hard—harder than usual, even!"

Hearing his response, the disciples seemed to relax, as if they'd just received some kind of reassurance. They nodded enthusiastically, each one more excited than the last, all promising to train diligently.

"Don't worry, Timothy! I'll take care of their training!" Elder Turner chimed in, stepping forward with a look of righteous determination.

"Uh..."

Timothy frowned slightly, recalling how these same disciples had been utterly exhausted and on the verge of tears after their last training session. Something felt off.

But with the Goddess watching over them, there was no way these disciples would dare slack off.

"Alright then, if you're all so eager to train, stay here at Sky Sanctuary and focus on improving your skills. Don't forget your oath to serve Sky Sanctuary and protect the Goddess with your lives."

With that, Timothy turned and took off, flying into the sky.

"Safe travels, Brother Timothy!" the disciples called out in unison, their voices unusually warm and friendly—something Timothy had never experienced before.

As they watched him disappear into the horizon, the disciples could no longer contain their excitement. Some of them were practically bouncing with joy.

"Finally! Brother Timothy's gone!"

"Yeah! We've been getting our butts kicked for two whole days! Now, we might actually have a chance!"

They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with barely concealed excitement.

Even Elder Turner's beard was twitching with glee.

Because, at that moment, they all had the same thought.

The disciples of Sky Sanctuary had been training hard for two days straight, and the Goddess had visited them both days. But during those visits, the Goddess had only ever given her special lemon tea to Timothy.

Now, on this glorious third day, Timothy was finally gone!

And with Timothy out of the picture, if the Goddess came to inspect them again, it meant that, just maybe...

"Maybe this time, everyone will get a chance!"

Their cheers echoed across the vast plaza.

Without Timothy around, the Goddess seemed to treat the other disciples with indifference. But now, with him gone, the playing field was level.

In other words, if the Goddess came to inspect them today, every single one of them had a shot at tasting the lemon tea she brewed with her own hands!

Just the thought of it made their hearts race with excitement, as if their chests were about to burst.

After all, this was Goddess Sylvia they were talking about!

Not to mention the lemon tea brewed by the Goddess herself—even the paths she once walked were revered by the disciples, who gazed upon them with awe and respect.

Even receiving a pebble sent by the Goddess would be enough to excite them for a lifetime, something they'd treasure as a family heirloom forever.

"If I ever get the chance to receive the Goddess's lemon tea, I'd drink it all in one gulp!"

"One gulp? What's the point of that?

If I got it, I'd hold it in my mouth and never eat, drink, or speak again for the rest of my life!"

"If I got it… I'd freeze that bowl of lemon tea and pass it down as a family heirloom for generations!"

The lively discussions made it clear just how much the disciples were looking forward to it.

Even Elder Turner's eyes flickered with a hint of temptation, though he tried his best to maintain a calm expression. "Enough talk! Get back to training. If the Goddess sees how hard you're working, she might come inspect us sooner."

"Yes, sir!"

This time, their response was crisp and full of energy. These same disciples, who would normally be drenched in sweat and exhausted after running just six miles, now seemed as if they'd been injected with adrenaline, each one more enthusiastic than the last.

"One, two, three, four!"

The volume of their chants today was far louder than it had been in the past two days.

Watching them, Elder Turner tried to keep his composure, but inside, he was even more excited than the disciples.

After all, for the past two days, it had been Timothy leading the training.

And for two days straight, Timothy had received the Goddess's lemon tea and water.

Which meant…

'Actually, the one with the best chance today… is me!'

At that moment, Elder Turner could no longer keep his inner calm.

In the vast training grounds, both Elder Turner and the disciples were filled with an indescribable excitement.

They were all eagerly anticipating the moment, with many already fantasizing about their incredible luck—imagining themselves being the one to receive the Goddess's lemon tea.

No one even took a break at noon, afraid they might miss something if they stepped away for even a moment.

But then…

An hour passed.

Two hours passed.

Four hours passed.

Six hours passed.

…

As the sun slowly dipped behind the mountains, there was still no sign of Goddess Sylvia.

"It can't be… She's probably just running a little late!"

"Why hasn't the Goddess come yet?"

"I refuse to believe it! The Goddess is fair and just—there's no way she'd only favor Timothy!"

But as the sun fully disappeared behind the mountains and the sky grew dark, Elder Turner and the disciples, exchanging uneasy glances, finally realized something was wrong.

Without Timothy, the Goddess hadn't even bothered to show up.

So…

"It turns out… the Goddess really only gives her lemon tea to Timothy!"

"The only one who can get the Goddess to personally brew lemon tea is Timothy!"

"I can't accept this!"

As the sun set, the mountaintop of Sky Sanctuary echoed with cries of despair.

Some were on the verge of tears, while others openly wept.

The disciples' spirits had clearly taken a heavy blow…