Combat Maid Harem

He looked at the leaf again and embraced it in his arms.

He looked like a kid hugging a toy, but that didn't matter to Lawrend as he felt an emptiness in his heart. His memories with Valentina flashed before his eyes.

The first time he met her, he was only physically attracted by her beautiful visage. The longer he knew her, the more he realized that she was more than beautiful. She was smart and willing to sacrifice for him.

He regretted not letting her give birth to a son or daughter. He regretted not going on a date with her. He regretted not marrying her. He regretted letting her sacrifice herself for him.

The only thing he wouldn't regret was meeting her. It had been an adventure to gather parts of her soul. She wasn't that much to him back then, but she was everything to him now.

Every time he finished practicing magic, he would always feel her presence within him, or in the Crystal Ball the Pillar Heaven Mage gave him. The emptiness in his mind was deafening and painful.

"Valentina… No…"

Lawrend cried like a baby. He wasn't the Undrasil Emperor, nor was he the god of the Holy Sun Church. He was a man that lost a part of his soul. Without her, he would never be complete again.

He might have other maids, but Valentina's role would never be replaced. Lawrend would never let it happen.

"Goddess!! Why!! Why didn't you stop her!!" Lawrend screamed.

His voice shook his whole planetary system.

And as if to mourn with him, a downpour showered the desolate region he was in. Lawrend used his space magic and appeared under the towering tree.

He kneeled in front of it and steeled his heart. He carefully dug out a 5-inch deep hole. He then gently placed the leaf in his hand in the center.

He took a deep breath and started covering it up. He hoped that whatever nutrients this leaf would have would be absorbed by the towering tree, so Valentina would never die as long as the towering tree existed.

"Valentina, you didn't love the wrong man this time. I will certainly avenge you," Lawrend muttered coldly.

He took a step back and slowly turned around. He looked up towards the dark clouds and regained his bearings.

After a few minutes of final mourning, Lawrend looked down at the puddle below his feet. Reflected in it was a beautiful face that brimmed with vitality.

His left eye was dark like the abyss, while his right eye was red like a phoenix flame. A portion of his left hair was deep black, just like the color in his previous life.

He looked vastly different compared to before. He became more handsome and released an unavoidable charm.

But Lawrend wasn't happy. He knew that he owed all of this to Valentina. He didn't let his loss of her affect him too much. After all, he would never be able to avenge her if he didn't improve.

"One day, I will make you happy."

…

Lawrend's lengthy disappearance scared his maids. They couldn't help but think that the worst had happened. They and his children stared at the bubbling lava lake in a daze.

The Third Ancestor's heart slowly sank as time passed. It had already been more than twelve hours ever since the Younger Generation Competition finished.

The crowd didn't grow impatient. Rather, their curiosities were piqued more and more the longer Lawrend didn't show up. They all wanted to know what happened to him and why Paeia and the old man stopped his maids and children from leaving their positions.

Soon, another twelve hours had passed. The Third Ancestor and the other Heaven Mages were worried. They couldn't see that deep to the level Lawrend reached. Their abilities as Heaven Mages didn't make them omniscient.

Aleshia, Aezel, Ramiela, and the other's eyes were bloodshot. They were all roaring to go and dive into the lava lake. Ember repeatedly stopped them, and they only listened because they respected her.

*Bub bub BUB*

A series of bubbles appeared and popped at the center of the lava lake. Lawrend slowly rose out of it with no emotions on his face.

"Master!" x10

"Father!" x9

Lawrend's maids and his children's eyes lit up like Christmas lights. Happiness filled their hearts, and they wanted to rush toward his embrace.

"Lawrend…"

Paeia squinted his eyes at the sight of Lawrend.

The Third Ancestor was silent as he observed him.

Everyone realized that something was wrong with Lawrend. His appearance was different, and his face was emotionless. His eyes didn't have the luster they initially had.

"Valentina is gone…" Lawrend whispered and flew towards his maids.

"What?"

Aleshia, Aezel, and the other's eyes went blank. A few seconds passed before they were able to digest the meaning of what he had just said. They widened their eyes and covered their mouths.

They knew that Lawrend would never joke about something like this. His emotionless face also resembled someone who had just lost a special someone.

"Lawrend, what happened down there?" the Third Ancestor asked and took a step forward to stand between him and his maids.

He didn't ask about Veronica's obvious demon bloodline as he was more curious about what kept him down there for a long time. The only ones who had done so were the ones that became Heaven Mages.

"I paid for something I never desired," Lawrend responded coldly.

Lawrend walked ahead and hit the Third Ancestor's shoulder, pushing him to the side. The Third Ancestor was pissed, but he didn't react as he only observed Lawrend.

"All the Heaven Mages of the Ignis Clan want an answer as to why your daughter has the demon bloodline."

The Third Ancestor went straight to the point.

Lawrend stopped walking and slowly looked back at him. His left eye contained images of abyssal monsters of various forms, and his right eye glowed bright red. The Third Ancestor took a step back, stunned.