Leveling Up by Seducing Milfs-Chapter 142. The Funeral Pyre

Three days later, the demon camp had become a place of solemn ceremony. The memorial grounds on the east side of the camp were full of demon warriors, civilians, and important visitors.

A huge pyre made of ironwood, the sacred tree of the demon realm, had been built and decorated with banners that had Zork’s personal sigil on them.

Rick was near the front of the group, dressed in formal demon clothes that Zara had given him. He didn’t like how the black and red robes felt on him.

They were too heavy and too formal, but he wore them out of respect for the event. His eyepatch had been replaced with a fancier one made of demon steel and covered in runes of honor.

Carmilla, Natasha, Sylvia, and Liora stood next to him, each wearing their own formal clothes. The leaders of all the demons were there, as were people from the dragon kingdom and the divine temple.

Some noble people from Valdris even came to pay their respects to the dead Demon King.

The funeral service had been going on for more than an hour, and different people were talking about Zork’s long reign and sharing memories. Rick had heard stories of battles won, wisdom shared, and a kingdom brought together by strength and kindness.

And that’s a rare thing for a demon lord in some fantasy world for Rick because all he knew was they always get killed by heroes, but here...the demon king was respected because of his choice and sacrifice.

But now it was time for the last speech, and Zara stepped up to speak to the crowd.

Rick had never seen the Demon General look like this before. The fierce warrior who rushed into battle without thinking was gone.

There was a woman in her place who was having trouble keeping herself together. She was wearing formal mourning robes that looked like they were weighing her down.

She walked up to the pyre, where Zork’s ashes had been put in a ceremonial urn. For a long time, she just stood there, staring at the urn as if she could bring her husband back to life with her willpower.

When she finally spoke, her voice was surprisingly loud in the quiet crowd.

Zara started by saying, "Zork Bloodthorn was my husband," with her hands tightly clenched at her sides. "But he was a warrior before he became my husband."

"He was a dreamer before he became a warrior. He saw a demon realm torn apart by fighting and thought we could do better."

She stopped and took a shaky breath. "He used his strength and wisdom to bring the clans together for three hundred years."

"He stood up to warlords who had scared our people for hundreds of years."

"He made laws that protected the weak and respected the strong."

"He personally constructed this world."

Rick could hear the tremor in her voice and see how her shoulders started to shake.

"And when he was done with his work and the realm was finally at peace, he chose to retire."

"Not because he was weak or had lost his edge, but because he thought the demon realm was strong enough to stand on its own without him always watching over it."

Zara didn’t bother to wipe away the tear that fell down her cheek. "I told him it was a mistake."

"I told him that he needed to keep his defenses up, that retirement would make him weak, and that peace never lasts forever." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

She lost her voice completely and had to stop talking for a few seconds to calm down. The crowd stood still and quietly, with many of them openly crying.

"He laughed at me," Zara said, and her own tears were flowing freely now. "He said he had earned the right to get soft."

"That he wanted to spend the rest of his life enjoying the peace he had worked so hard to bring about."

"That being with me to see the sunrise was worth more than any amount of political power."

She reached out and touched the urn with fingers that were shaking. "He was right."

"We lived in peace for forty years, and we have seen the sun rise together for forty years."

"Forty years of happiness I never thought I deserved."

Zara’s composure finally fell apart completely. She fell to her knees in front of the pyre, her body shaking with sobs that came from deep inside her and hurt a lot.

"And then the corruption came, and I couldn’t keep him safe!"

"I couldn’t save the man who had saved me in every possible way!"

Rick’s heart hurt because of the raw sadness in her voice. He moved forward, but Carmilla’s hand on his arm stopped him.

Rick understood when she shook her head a little. Zara had to do this by herself.

"But even in death," Zara’s voice rose again, stronger despite the tears, "even when he was a monster, he found a way to save us all."

"He picked a successor, gave him the hope to fight corruption, and gave up his own life to protect the kingdom he loved."

She slowly got up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Zork Bloodthorn died the way he lived."

"A true king in every way."

"And even though my heart is broken and I will miss him for the rest of my life, I am proud to have been his wife, General, and partner."

Zara turned to look at the crowd. Her eyes were red, but her face was set.

"And I am proud to carry on his legacy by helping the man he chose to take over."

"Rick Rolland was a human who showed that compassion is more important than power and courage is more important than cruelty."

"Zork saw something in him that made him believe in him, and so do I."

With a wave of her hand, she lit the pyre, and the ironwood burned up in seconds. The flames shot up into the sky, and a column of smoke that could be seen for miles carried Zork’s ashes with them.

The demons who had come together sang a traditional funeral song, a haunting tune that told of warriors coming back to the earth to feed the next generation.

Rick didn’t know the words, but he stood still and watched the smoke rise. He said a quiet prayer of thanks to the man who had faith in him.

Rick saw Zara across the memorial grounds as the ceremony came to an end and the crowd started to leave. She looked worn out and empty from her grief, but she nodded to him to show that she understood before turning to accept condolences from other demons.

Rick knew he had to talk to her tonight. Rick needed to express his thoughts and fulfill his promises.

...

Night had fallen over the demon camp, and most of the demons had gone to bed after the funeral, which had been very hard on them.

Rick, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep. He was better physically, but his mind kept going back to Zara’s breakdown at the pyre and the raw pain in her voice when she said she couldn’t save her husband.

He could tell where each of his partners was through his bond network. Carmilla and Natasha were sleeping in his room, and their presence was calm and steady.

Sylvia had gone back to the Northern Peaks for a few days to take care of business in the dragon kingdom. Liora was meditating at a small shrine she had built, and her divine energy was pulsing gently.

Zara was by herself at the eastern overlook, the same place where Zork used to go to see the sunrise.

Rick made up his mind and quietly left his room. At night, the camp was quiet, and only a few guards on patrol nodded politely as he walked by.

They had already started calling him "King," even though the official coronation wouldn’t happen for two more days.

"And... with that I just officially became the Demon King... it’s every no-life’s wet dream, huh?"

He found Zara exactly where he thought she would be. She is sitting on a big rock and looking out at the dark horizon. She didn’t turn around when he got close, but her voice was clear in the night air.

"You should be sleeping until you’re fully recovered."

Rick climbed up to sit next to her and said, "So should you."

"But here we are."