Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil - Chapter 1932

Eren learned to appreciate his father’s unseen care only in the second line after achieving a semblance of success in Anfang.

It was Elijah’s teachings that had profoundly shaped Eren into the man he was today, and he was grateful to his father for that care.

Why did Eren fail to implement Elijah’s rules the first time around when Alephee wasn’t there to assist him?

It was only because Eren had chosen to consciously ignore his father’s teachings that his life had turned so miserable in the first timeline.

Following those teachings had been a difficult process, but he had never imagined that abandoning them would lead him to be controlled by his circumstances and vices.

As such, Eren understood all too well the importance of concepts like "condition-based care" and "minimal assistance for maximum impact."

He had learned firsthand that people only truly appreciated their blessings when they worked hard to earn them. Otherwise, those blessings would be taken for granted, eventually turning into curses.

Furthermore, providing help in the wrong way would make the receiver dependent on the help provider. This was not the outcome Eren would want for any of his companions and comrades.

Therefore, Eren extended the same "minimal help" treatment to Naya. One could say that this was his way of showing that he cared.

If he were to hastily secure Naya and eliminate her opponents using Osha or Roza, he was certain that such an intervention would relieve her of the very pressure that had triggered her Battle Trance and premature S-Rank breakthrough.

Removing that pressure would be even more detrimental to her growth than avoiding the calamity altogether.

Though it was called a "Calamity" in Anfang, Eren knew it was also a blessing—a rite of passage for any mana practitioner striving to attain the fabled S-Rank status.

If Naya missed this opportunity, it could take decades—or even an entire century—before she could initiate another S-Rank Calamity. It was better to strike while the iron was hot, even if it meant enduring some discomfort.

As such, Naya was placed in a desperate situation by her two enemies, and Eren allowed it to happen under controlled conditions.

This pushed her to unleash her latent potential as a demon beast, enabling her to remain in Battle Trance longer and successfully initiate her Calamity.

Of course, Osha and Roza worried about Naya’s safety. Even though they were told not to intervene in her battle, they knew that anything could go wrong in the battlefield. Especially when Naya was caught unprepared for her S-Rank Calamity.

The Sages didn’t have Eren’s heart. They also blamed Eren for being a bit too ruthless with his actions. However, they could subconsciously understand his reasons behind the order. As such, they decided to follow through his plan.

***

Following Eren’s instructions, Osha and Roza were prepared to intervene, and both Sages had already begun taking action.

However, what neither they nor Eren had anticipated was that the two Templars would drag Naya deep into the sea.

When Osha informed Eren of Naya’s changed location, he was momentarily perplexed. He couldn’t discern what the Templars were planning. Suspecting it might be a trap meant to lure the Sages into danger, he ordered both of them to refrain from making any hasty moves.

The Butcher was just about to follow and check on Naya when he felt a dreadful presence spread across Baga Island and its surrounding territory. His expression darkened as he began to piece together the Templars’ intentions.

A terrible idea formed in his mind, and he didn’t like it one bit—if his suspicion was correct, it would spell chaos.

Eren thrived in chaos when he could cage or control it to his advantage. But if it exceeded his needs, he was prepared to close shop and leave Baga Island’s territory—at least until things settled on their own.

After analyzing various possibilities in his head and processing the latest intel from Roza, Osha, and the four Demon Earls, Eren realized that events were unfolding in an unexpected direction. He then turned to Marina, his voice serious.

"Marina, your sister—where is she?"

Marina was taken aback by the sudden question. Her mind was already overwhelmed with fear and other negative emotions after sensing the sea monster’s presence for the first time in centuries. She didn’t think much before answering honestly.

"My sister… she… she dived deep into the sea, right beneath Raashim Temple, to strengthen the seal on that accursed sea monster’s cage."

As she spoke, a grim realization struck her. Her eyes widened in horror as she turned to Eren, her voice desperate.

"Eren, you need to call back your forces! That monster will kill people from both sides once he’s freed from his shackles. Even Azurea and I won’t be spared. He’ll enslave us both because we helped Raashim Temple capture him. If—if you want to marry me, you need to—"

Marina was about to plead with Eren to stop his assault on Raashim Temple, but he cut her off with a shake of his head.

"My dear, it’s not my forces that interfered with your sister’s work. It was the people from Raashim Temple—YOUR former allies are as stupid as they come."

Marina’s breath hitched. "What?" was all she could manage before instinctively turning in the direction of the dreadful presence. A wave of helplessness and fear washed over her as she tried to determine whether Eren was telling the truth.

Her fears were confirmed the next moment when a warning message from Raashim Temple came through her communication channel. Her hands trembled as she turned back to Eren.

"Eren, my sister… she… she’s right in front of that monster’s cage. Will… will he harm her the moment he’s free?"

Eren pondered for a moment before shrugging. "There’s no point in guessing anymore. We need to leave this place before that sea monster is rele—"

He was about to urge Marina to move when he suddenly froze. This was the moment when Naya had triggered her S-Rank Calamity.

Eren immediately realized what Naya’s close proximity to Azurea and the barrier would do to the seal-strengthening ritual while she was undergoing her Calamity.

Without hesitation, he grabbed Marina’s hand and rushed toward Naya’s location. Pushing his God Spark to its fullest potential, he began cutting down the distance between them at an incredible speed.

At the same time, he instructed Roza and Osha to remain on standby near Naya and be ready to intervene at a moment’s notice. His original plan was to avoid confronting Azurea altogether—just grab Naya and retreat.

After all, engaging with the caged sea monster wasn’t part of his strategy. As for Azurea, he planned to deal with her after securing his own interests. Although he had decided to accept her as one of his dragon wives to gain control over Labh Salem’s seas, his priority remained the safety of himself and his forces.

Eren was about to relay orders to the Demon Earls, instructing them to withdraw from Baga Island. He knew the sea monster would break free within minutes at the rate the barrier was deteriorating.

While he couldn’t ensure the safety of his entire demon army in such a short time, he was confident that the sea monster would first target the Raashim Temple’s forces. Only after that would it move on to subduing all draconic beings present on the battlefield, including Azurea and Marina. This window of chaos would give him enough time to minimize his own losses from the raid.

Eren was also aware that taking Marina along carried its own risks. The sea monster would likely be furious at her presence and could target him as well. But it was a risk he was willing to take.

Just as he opened a communication channel with the four Demon Earls, Reen’s voice echoed in his mind.

"Erni, I think we should stay and let that big guy come out."

Eren was surprised by Reen’s suggestion. "Why?" he asked while continuing to shoot through the water like a star, Marina beside him, rapidly closing the distance to Naya.

"This sea monster…" Reen hesitated. "I sensed something just now when the barrier weakened further. I’m not sure how or why… but he has somehow acquired our Elder Ichor bloodline. It’s unstable and eating away at his life force, but he shares a connection with us. Maybe we can talk to him—get him on our side. After all, through this bloodline connection, he could be your half-sibling."

Eren was stunned by Reen’s words. Like him, Reen possessed the Elder Ichor bloodline. In fact, she was the origin of the Elder Ichor that had emerged in this era. If there was one thing she could never be mistaken about, it was recognizing the bloodline source of someone connected to Elder Ichor.

"Kekeke," Eren chuckled. "Reen, darling, do you really think it’s that easy to get on a maniacal monster’s good side just because we share a bloodline connection? Not every monster is like you, you know."

"But we won’t know until we try," Reen countered quickly.

"Besides, we might not be able to defeat that sea monster, but we can always run if things go south. It wouldn’t cost us much to at least attempt to gain such a powerful deterrent.

Even if we lose one or two Demon Earls in the process, it would still be worth it if we manage to control that monster."

At this point, Eren spotted Naya in the distance. Azurea had just swum near her and was preparing to attack with her Skill.

Eren took only a fraction of a second to consider Reen’s proposal.

"You’re right, Reen, darling," he said with a smirk. "You’re starting to remind me of Alephee more and more these days. I’m glad I have you in her absence."

With that, he cast a lightning-element spell on Naya, neutralizing Azurea’s attack and ensuring her safety.

Thus, Eren finally decided to alter his plan and confront Azurea directly, with Marina standing beside him.

"Your sister is fine," Eren told Azurea. "But let’s put our little differences aside for now. After all, we have bigger fish to fry."

As he spoke, the sea monster—imprisoned for centuries by Raashim Temple and the dragonkind present—was finally about to make its appearance.

===

AN: After a bit of background coverage, we’re finally back to the end of Chapter 1930.

I know we need to wrap up the Baga Island battle soon, but I wanted to highlight some key moments from Eren’s past since they tie into the upcoming mini-arc about his father, Elijah.

I’ll see if we can up the chapter releases tomorrow to keep things moving smoothly. :)