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The people dispersed, morale at an all-time high. Some also surrounded Siana, singing praises and complimenting her. She handled them all with ease and a smile.
Mumulbur, carrying a crate filled with potions, was walking alongside the other kids. It was unthinkable to give so much money just for simply handing everything out.
Since it would be strange to turn her down, he reluctantly followed her request, albeit with less enthusiasm than the children.
It seemed that they couldn't resist listening to a beautiful noble lady's request who treated them with such kindness.
After an hour of this needless work just to maintain appearances, he came to the cathedral's garden just like the rest of the children.
The trimmed grass fence was quite high and, aside from Siana, there were only the red-armored knights inside the garden.
"Good work. All of you are such hard workers." Siana, sitting and drinking tea in the garden, smiled and praised the children who were expectantly waiting for their rewards, "Here's your reward. Don't spend it recklessly. Remember that your family will need it."
So, that's why she spent her money so freely. She wanted to help the children's families. Somehow her kindness seemed a bit over the top. Or maybe Mumulbur just wasn't used to this as he's just a bag of bones that's been living in isolation almost all his life.
Soon after all the children left, only Mumulbur was left. Naturally, he didn't need to do all this but moving around to find out Lauran's location was better than sitting under some tent waiting for a chance.
All he needs to do is touch her once so that soul assimilation can begin.
Just as he approached Siana for his reward, he noticed that the area around him has grown quiet.
The red knights had closed the garden door and made sure no one came inside.
When he looked at Siana, he saw her cold, unflinching stare. Her mouth was a thin line; unlike the radiant smile she gave the children.
Siana's cold voice flowed into his ear. "—How does it feel to be alive again, Mumulbur?"
'Wha—How!?'
He took an involuntary step back.
He had meticulously erased his signature upon taking over this vessel. How was it possible for this girl to immediately peel back his disguise?
"Oh, don't be surprised. Darling knew that you would slip into the barrier during all that chaos."
Darling.
Since she was engaged to Arnold, it wasn't hard to figure out who pulled her strings. The real question was: how did he suddenly know exactly where and when Mumulbur would manifest? The two didn't even know each other and never met before.
How did they even figure out his "real" body, that Guinevere and the others were still fighting, was actually a decoy?
Mumulbur knew Arnold possessed the Draconic Halo, an eye that could pierce most veils in existence, but it categorically should not be able to see right through the dark arts Mumulbur had practiced over millennia.
Did someone from the future come here and tell him? Or does he possess the forbidden Dark Scroll?
Both were ridiculous claims. Utterly impossible. But there couldn't be an explanation other than the fact that he was reading the threads of fate itself.
"Don't worry. I don't intend to kill you," Siana said, her tone as casual as if discussing the weather.
Even though her knights stood right there, she still dropped her kind act when they were alone with him.
"…What?"
"Lauran needs you for her awakening. I'll send someone to bring her to me for tea. You can use that moment to take over her body."
"…Why are you doing this?"
His grand, centuries-in-the-making scheme was being handed to him on a silver platter. It made his blood run cold. What were their motives for helping him?
Lauran needs you for her awakening. The words echoed in his hollow mind.
Didn't this sound as if they were… using him? For the first time in countless years, he felt a molten anger boiling at the depths of his soul. He was a calamity! A scourge of the living! Yet they saw him as a pawn!?
But he didn't dare cause a scene. Those red-armored knights flanking the perimeter, and Siana herself, radiated a terrifying lethality.
"…You're not going to ruin my plan, right?" he asked, his voice betraying a pathetic sliver of doubt.
"I was asked to make sure you succeed. Lauran and I aren't familiar with each other, but we share a bond with Darling. Due to our relationship, she will come if I ask to meet her. She'll be in your hands soon."
"…What's your purpose for helping me, really? Do you think I won't… succeed?"
Siana smiled knowingly. It wasn't a smile of mockery.
That smile told him everything he needed to know.
Somehow, Arnold hadn't just managed to find out his grand design—he had looked at an ancient threat and decided it was nothing more than a training dummy for his ally.
Mumulbur felt a tinge of vertigo. To be hunted or thwarted was one thing; to be budgeted into a human's daily itinerary was a terror he had never known. An unfathomable arrogance of letting a primordial evil succeed, simply because a girl needed a stepping stone to level up, shattered his pride.
If he were still an undead, he might've thought calmly about it but he couldn't control his human emotions so his body involuntarily shook.
'If this woman is here to give this instruction, does that mean Arnold worked with that Dark Elf that made Hero Luke's lover transform?'
Malzorath's accusation of Arnold's character started to make sense. Why would you, as a human, simply ignore a demon lord hiding in the shadows and preparing for an invasion—
—if you weren't as shrewd as them?
'That darned Arnold. Does he think I won't succeed?! Fine, I won't bite the hand that feeds me. Not yet, at least.'
"What say you, Lich?" Siana's smiled returned.
"…Okay."
◊◊
Somewhere nearby the cathedral were a group of mages and ordinary folk working through the destruction of the buildings to see if they could spot survivors.
Nearby were several red-armored knights. Even though the portals were closed, there were still thousands of demons free on the streets. They knew they couldn't do anything against the red knights so the attack intervals weren't predictable.
There were also hunting parties to hunt down these demons. They consisted of both mages that could use searching spells and the red knights to take the demons down. Since the knights were so incomprehensibly strong, each hunting party only needed one.
Lauran witnessed one of those knights taking down a Greater Demon like it was nothing, something not even imperial knights could do.
Where did Arnold get those kinds of knights? They'll definitely explode in popularity after this invasion among nobles who want to hire them.
"—I can't sense survivors in this area!" Lauran shouted to the search party team. The total number of survivors they've rescued were 214 people. There were definitely more, which was why several large groups were formed and spread out throughout the capital. Other cities also did the same thing.
"Alright, we've cleared the first district! Team 1 you can get some rest and leave the rest to Team 2 for now!"
"I'll take over with my clairvoyance so you can take a break." One of the team 2 rescuers said to Lauran amidst the shouting.
"Thanks…" feeling light-headed, Lauran fell to the ground, and breathed out a long sigh, watching the sunrise, "Cold!"
Someone put an icy-chilled bottle against the back of her neck, making her jump.
"Hehe, so this is where you were." Said Felicia with a giggle.
"Y-You're okay…" Lauran sighed in relief and took the bottle of water, "I didn't see you after we left the base."
"I was with the teachers at the academy. Since there weren't any mages to maintain the academy's barrier for too long, we had to leave after a path was cleared by those red knights. They're crazy strong! Where are they even from?"
"…They come from Whitage city. I don't know where Arnold got them from."
"He really moved up in the world, huh? I used to think he's some spoiled young master but he was able to get such strong knights from some mysterious ally. They must've been really expensive given their strength. But I guess he has the money now that he's selling the crystals found on his land."
Lauran nodded.
"Have you eaten yet? Should we go grab something while we wait for our turn to join the search?"
"The last time I ate was at the base yesterday."
"You're really pushing yourself." Felicia made a small smile and took out a wrapper from her bag. Inside it was a lemon bun, "Eat this on the way."
**
"Maannnn~ I really need a bath. I'm covered in demon goo."
"Yeah, me too."
The two girls entered the barrier as they chatted.
Luke and the rest were still fighting, sending shockwaves throughout the city, but when Lauran entered the barrier, they vanished.
Not only was the chaos drowned out by the barrier, but the atmosphere inside was completely different from what you'd expect.
People were neatly forming a line where food was being handed out. Children carrying crates were giving out potions to the injured with determined expressions on their faces. Lively chatter spread all around the cathedral grounds.
"Eh, this is unexpected…" Felicia looked around in confusion, "You'd think we're having a picnic…"
"With the threat now taken care of, everyone feels safer."
"Ah, yeah. The scariest moments are over. We don't have to worry about more demons falling from the sky and the red knights are managing on their own too. I wonder where young master Luke is? He was really brave to go to the frontlines to fight alongside the Archmage and the red-haired lady."
Luke's growth happened right before Lauran's eyes. Just a year ago, he was a stuttering boy who got scared and responded emotionally easily but he confronted the demons without fear.
'I didn't see Ms. Norn among the family earlier. Don't tell me…' Lauran gulped.
Felicia sniffed the air then spotted her target and hurriedly grabbed Lauran.
"They're handing out food over there so let's go eat~!"
After getting food and sitting down by a table to eat, a priest came up to Lauran in a hurry.
"Sorry to interrupt your meal but Ms. Lauran, Lady Siana from Whitage city, seeks an audience with you."
**
Lauran had never been part of high society before so her etiquette never really mattered to her. she rarely even interacted with high-class nobles as a servant.
Due to this, she had never faced a true noble's pressure. It wasn't pressure in the sense of a violent, murderous energy, but the elegance and prestige pressure that all nobles have.
At that moment, Lauran was right in the middle of that pressure.
A young woman with long white hair and crystal-clear eyes, draped in an extravagant dress, blew into her cup of tea softly. Her white eyelashes fluttered as she slowly closed her eyes.
Compared to this beauty, who no one in the entire empire could match, Lauran was just some slum rat. Were it not for her red hair and blue eyes, she'd look as ordinary as any other girl.
Whereas this woman was the pinnacle of feminine beauty.
Arnold's "charms" could make even this woman fall in love with him…
She even proudly wore her engaged ring.
"—What's wrong? Is this tea not to your liking?" putting the cup down, she opened her eyes and stared at Lauran.
"…It's fine. I'm wondering why Madam Siana called me here…"
"Hearing you call me madam makes me feel old, huhu. But I'll get to the point—Ms. Lauran, would you say you have any aspirations for your path as a magician?"
"…Why do you ask?"
Siana smiled, "It's not my business but if you're going to be my sister wife, wouldn't it be best to have the strength to protect yourself?"
Sister… wife?
"Darling has lots of enemies and will continue to make more. After taking the former Demon King's name, he's even the enemy of the entire demon race. He can't always be there to save us."
"…I'm not one of his toilets so I don't think I need his protection."
"Ouch." She chuckled, "If you think I let a man walk all over me or treat me as he sees fit, you've gravely mistaken the kind of person I am. It's been years since anyone has ever told me what to do. I've always been in the shadow of my family and my best friend but it was due to Arnold that I was able to free myself."
A white fire appeared above the palm of her hand, which she stared at for a moment, "I've kept my former strength and can experience freedom that all humans dream of. Centuries of being stuck in this ageless body from a power I once deemed to be a blessing—came to an end because of him."
"So, did you fall in love with him just because of that? How romantic—it's like witnessing a novel come to life." The sarcasm bled into her voice.
Naturally, Lauran wasn't this kind of person but seeing a woman of Siana's status and beauty, fall in love just because of something so simple worried her. Since she mentioned "freedom", she must've been sheltered from the world. But because of Arnold, she was freed and now sees him as her world.
"Haha, no. I didn't fall for him because of what he did for me. Our love was sparked by natural circumstances, not special conditions. While I haven't had many partners in my life, I know my standards aren't high."
"…"
"But enough about me. I'd like to know why you study magic."
"Isn't that a weird thing to ask while drinking tea in the middle of all this?" she looked up at the sky, where demons were still flying around.
"I think it's important for me to know as soon as possible. This is our first time meeting properly so I'd like to get an impression of you."
"What if you're disappointed?"
"Then I'm afraid your path as a magician will come to an abrupt end soon."
"?"
"Magic needs discipline and a purpose. You can't study it simply because you want to grow stronger. A bottleneck affects even geniuses and they turn towards any means of obtaining power to reach a goal that will ruin them."
Why did Lauran suddenly think of those strange items Anais brought back? Was she overthinking something?
"If you can tell me why you strive for strength, I'll feel more at ease for your future."
"I don't want to remember what happened… I already said I'll give him another chance…"
"Oh? So, it's related to darling then? I'd really like to know what sparked your motivation for magic, if you don't mind."
She sighed softly.
"…At first, I just wanted to grow stronger to… to kill Arnold for what he did to me."
Siana's expression never changed even as Lauran retold everything she had to endure.
Blackmail.
Rape.
Harassment.
Beatings.
"He did all of that while laughing in my face. He deserved to die, is what I kept telling myself. I never knew I had talent for magic until I found myself in the castle library to distract myself from my life. Maybe I could learn a skill or two to either make money or protect myself. Everything seemed too easy: from theory, to incantations, to arcane formations and memorization. When I first cast a 1st rank spell, I knew I had a chance to free myself from that monster."
That was her sole purpose for learning magic. To her it didn't matter if she was destined for more, judging by how easy magic was to learn. It was just a sword she needed to sharpen more and more. She didn't care what kind of sword it would turn out to be.
It would've all been worth it if he died by her hand.
But… before she could do that, he released her.
He didn't apologize for anything. But he freed her family from debt and killed that gangster she wanted to slay with her own hands.
She didn't know why she felt so conflicted. She shouldn't be happy that he fixed his own mistakes.
Why didn't he say sorry at least?
"Nothing excuses his actions but he lived a difficult childhood. He couldn't protect himself in a world where the strong rules over all. Ms. Lauran, that boy who hurt you is now part of that hierarchy. Never once has he tried to rule over anyone, has he? He's shown kindness to those that have nothing left and nowhere to return to."
"Even if most of my anger is gone now… he'll need a hundred years of repentance for me to forgive him…"
"He's a dragonkin, he'll live for thousands of years so there's enough time."
"He shouldn't exploit others for his own goals."
"I will make sure there won't be such cases."
"He should apologize to every woman whose heart he broke."
"Yes, yes I'll make sure he does."
"He shouldn't force Ms. Victoria and Ms. Siana to do sex acts that you don't want to…"
"Naturally. There's a limit to what I tolerate. I'm more into vanilla stuff rather than the extreme stuff, hehehe."
…
Lauran didn't know what else to say.
What did she want?
She's told herself time and time again to focus on her studies to forget about her past but what was the end goal? Simply to be the strongest mage? To impress Adrianna? To finish the assignment?
"He… He should treat me like a real girl on our date and not a piece of meat…"
Siana smiled.
Siana stood up and walked over to Lauran, placing a hand on Lauran's hand.
"I won't let him off if he harms you again."
The tense muscles in her face relaxed somewhat.
Suddenly, she began to realize something.
The reason she wanted strength was always for vengeance. it was never a noble cause or for herself. It was simply to inflict the same suffering on those that harmed her.
That's not a kind of goal a magician should have. Even if she didn't realize this now, Freya or Adrianna would've surely brought the question up.
It could've caused a bottleneck in her path that she'd have a difficult time overcoming.
But realizing this early made her worries wash away. Perhaps even that bottleneck won't ever appear before her.
The last bit of anger simply vanished. Not a single bad thought surfaced anymore and she mentally blocked herself from remembering those horrible things she went through.
"You're not frowning anymore. Is this a sign that you know why you want to grow strong?"
She nodded slowly.
But.
She suddenly felt another hand touch her shoulder and a premonition burned within her.
--I've run out of patience. Now she's mine forever.