Becoming the Demon Lord: Taming the Demon Queen Begins

"Weird, the sky outside..."

Timothy, who had been deep in thought about proposing, suddenly noticed that the sky outside had changed.

What had been a bright, clear morning with a blue sky and barely a cloud in sight had now turned into a dark, ominous mass.

Even the light was fading, and thick clouds were rolling in, heading straight for Sky Sanctuary.

Raindrops had already begun to fall, light at first, but steadily growing heavier as time passed.

The fact that the weather over Sky Sanctuary was being affected like this was definitely unusual.

Timothy snapped out of his thoughts, stood up, and stepped outside.

Sure enough, the sky was completely covered in dark clouds.

At this point, the disciples of Sky Sanctuary had also gathered outside the main hall, staring up at the sky in shock.

In the distance, a massive storm cloud was approaching, and within it, figures could be seen.

There were dragon guards, armored crab generals, and even dragons in their true forms, flying above the clouds.

The ones causing this downpour were none other than the dragons and Sea Folk from the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon.

"I am Draconis, the Grand Elder of the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon. I've come to pay my respects to the Goddess. Please forgive us for arriving so suddenly."

Noticing the commotion their arrival had caused, Draconis, the Grand Elder of the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon, quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully toward Sky Sanctuary.

Following his lead, the Sea Folk—whether in human form or their original sea-beast forms—also bowed deeply, their faces filled with reverence.

It was clear that the Goddess held an unshakable authority in the hearts of these Sea Folk.

After all, when Sylvia had entered the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon, her cold, majestic presence had left a lasting impression on the dragons. Even now, the memory of her divine power still haunted them.

Even though they had arrived with a large force, not a single dragon dared to show any disrespect.

"Alright, since that's the case, I won't hold you accountable for causing this weather disturbance. Now, tell me, why have you come?"

Sylvia's voice was cold and distant.

Moments later, her flawless figure emerged from Sky Sanctuary.

Though her beauty was enough to captivate anyone, these usually rough and wild Sea Folk kept their heads bowed, not daring to look at her.

Before they had set out for Sky Sanctuary, Draconis had issued a strict order: anyone who showed disrespect to the Goddess, even by sneaking a glance at her, would have their eyes gouged out upon returning. The punishment would be severe.

This showed just how deeply the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon now feared and revered the Goddess.

"Your Grace, we've come to Sky Sanctuary to take Dragon King Azura back to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon. The one-year contract has ended, and according to the agreement, the pet contract between Dragon King and Timothy has expired. From now on, Timothy can no longer interfere with Dragon King's actions, and Azura will return to the Shrine to reclaim her position as Dragon King."
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Draconis immediately responded, his tone and posture as humble as possible, showing no hint of disrespect.

"Contract?"

Though Draconis and the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon were being quite polite, Sylvia frowned slightly at his words.

Azura had been at Sky Sanctuary for some time now. Although there had been a few misunderstandings along the way, Sylvia had grown rather fond of her.

Over time, she had come to accept the presence of this silly, adorable little dragon.

Just today, she and Azura had worked together to devour ten whole Golden Scale Dragon Carps, and the memory was still fresh in her mind.

But now...

Sylvia's gaze softened a little as she turned her head to look at Timothy, who had just stepped outside the hall.

"Why are they here?"

At that moment, Azura, who had been playing with the female disciples of Sky Sanctuary, also noticed the situation in the sky.

She seemed a bit lost and unsure of what to do.

Her mind went blank, and without thinking, she ran straight to Timothy's side, grabbing onto his pant leg with her small hand, as if seeking his help.

Timothy glanced at Azura, who looked a bit pitiful, and finally snapped out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, just like that, a whole year has passed. The contract with Azura has reached its end."

But...

Looking at Azura, still clinging to his side as if waiting for him to make a decision, Timothy couldn't help but smile.

Who would've thought that after a year, Azura was still the same?

Even though her strength now far surpassed any dragon in the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon, and the dragon army had come to escort her back to reclaim her position as Dragon King, she still seemed a little scared.

"No, wait... she doesn't actually seem that scared."

Timothy suddenly noticed that while Azura was pressed tightly against him, her head lowered in confusion, there wasn't much fear on her face.

What was really driving her actions wasn't fear—it was more like... hesitation. She didn't seem to know what to do.

"What... should I do?" Azura finally spoke.

She glanced up at Timothy, but her eyes quickly darted away, filled with uncertainty. It was clear she had no idea what to do next.

Thinking back, from the moment they signed the contract until now, Azura had often boasted that when the year was up, she'd return to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon and reclaim her revered position as Dragon King.

But now that the moment had actually arrived, her reaction was completely different from what she had always said.

Where was that smug confidence she used to have?

"You silly little dragon, how have you not grown up even a little after all this time?"

Timothy chuckled softly. "Now that the contract's over, the choice is entirely yours. Whether you want to go back to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon or do something else, it's up to you."

Time had flown by so quickly that Timothy hadn't expected this day to come so suddenly. Though he felt a bit reluctant, he smiled and gently patted Azura's head.

After all, the contract had expired, and the freedom to choose was now completely in Azura's hands.

"Me... decide for myself?" Azura blinked, stunned for a moment.

As the dragon with the purest bloodline in the entire dragon race, she naturally had the responsibility to take on the role of Dragon King.

But...

"What should I really..."

"The Dragon King's seat has been empty for a whole year. Dragon King, please return to us!"

"Dragon King, you carry a burden far greater than any human could understand!"

At that moment, the voices of the dragons rang out.

Azura felt her mind spinning, unable to think clearly like she usually could.

In her confusion and hesitation, without fully realizing it, she nodded.