Millicent watched the white spirit slowly disappear, momentarily at a loss for how to react.
Wait, why had he died?
What was going on… Had she talked him to death?
As if realizing that she had done something wrong, Millicent instinctively turned her head away.
Two seconds later, she blinked and awkwardly addressed the spot where the white spirit had just been.
"Um… I'm sorry."
"I didn't expect you to react so strongly…"
Lucian couldn't help laughing. He reassured her,
"It's fine. It's nothing important."
"Besides, he was already dead. What remained here was merely a lingering obsession."
To be honest, Lucian also found the whole thing rather difficult to keep a straight face over.
Just a moment ago, the white spirit had still been saying, 'Hehe, I absolutely have to survive!'
And then, in the very next instant, he had been sent on his way to the afterlife.
What made it even more amusing was when Lucian realized that the white spirit had probably believed the same thing throughout his life, yet had died without even realizing it.
Lucian cleared his throat twice and took Millicent's hand.
"Let's keep moving."
"Now we're really heading to Volcano Manor."
"Once we get there, don't leave my side."
Lucian took Millicent's hand and continued flying upward.
According to the map, once they reached the area above Seethewater River, they wouldn't be far from the Road of Iniquity.
After a while, Lucian and Millicent arrived at one section of the Road of Iniquity.
It was a slope where countless corpses had been burned.
Downhill lay the severed section of the Road of Iniquity, while the road uphill led toward Volcano Manor.
Standing near the Site of Grace, Lucian looked into the distance.
He could see a thick, young Erdtree that had been burned completely to a charred black stump, its entire form blackened.
However, he couldn't spot the Putrid Tree Spirit along the road at a glance. Perhaps he would have to spend some time searching for it.
Lucian had no intention of looking for it himself just yet, though. Otherwise, he'd have to go out of his way to reach it.
Right now, he needed to take Millicent to Volcano Manor, and fortunately, he also had a convenient little helper he could put to work.
Lucian awakened Ashimi, who had been busy digesting the contents of the Tear Chalice inside his body.
It had been quite a while since he'd last brought her out to do some work.
Asimi Unit, Go!
Asimi's consciousness gradually stirred. Still half-asleep, she yawned drowsily.
Lucian explained the task to her, then pulled Asimi out of his body and sent her off to search the area.
Although she was rather reluctant to be dragged out of bed and put to work, Asimi still carried out her duty faithfully, transforming into a wisp of mist and drifting along the road.
Millicent merely felt as though something had floated past her side. It even seemed to send a faint chill through the air.
But when she turned her head from side to side, she couldn't find anything at all.
'Maybe it was just the wind…'
Seeing Lucian set off again, Millicent put aside her inexplicable suspicion and hurried after him.
They were now very close to Volcano Manor, so Lucian stopped flying and simply continued along the road on foot.
After several dozen minutes of traveling, the outline of Volcano Manor gradually appeared through the shimmering heat haze.
The imposing building was already visible ahead of them, and the two quickened their pace once more.
However, just then, they were ambushed unexpectedly.
Five Recusants emerged from their hiding places, loosely surrounding the two of them from different directions and cutting off every possible avenue of retreat.
They were all Recusants, just like the group that had previously intercepted Millicent and Alexander.
However, this group was considerably stronger. At the same time, they seemed much less organized, and they didn't even appear to have a unified leader.
Looking at the Recusants who clearly meant them no good, Lucian responded with a smile.
In the spirit of friendly communication, he took out the invitation Rya had given him earlier and displayed it to the Recusants before him.
"Excuse me. I've been invited to Volcano Manor."
"Am I going the right way?"
The distinctive red wax seal bearing Rykard's likeness was extremely conspicuous. Even a bunch of fools like these could recognize it at a glance.
But who would have expected that, upon seeing the invitation, the Recusants wouldn't retreat at all? Instead, they let out strange, mocking laughs and approached even more greedily.
Millicent immediately grew tense. However, remembering that Lucian was standing beside her, she gradually relaxed, retaining only the minimum level of vigilance.
Lucian raised an eyebrow and watched the Recusants with interest.
'Oh? Not only are you not leaving, you're actually approaching me even more eagerly?'
'You Recusants really are something else…'
Still, Lucian couldn't help wondering about the current state of affairs at Volcano Manor.
How could these people be so bold as to rob travelers right outside Volcano Manor's doorstep? Had nobody noticed anything unusual?
Lucian knew that Volcano Manor didn't particularly care about its Recusants.
After all, they were encouraged to grow stronger by devouring one another, much like raising poisonous insects in a sealed container. In the end, their strength would be offered to Rykard to consume.
But no matter how much Volcano Manor tolerated the Recusants devouring one another, surely someone ought to do something when it happened right outside their own front door?
The Recusants themselves didn't care about any of this. If they knew what Lucian was thinking, they would undoubtedly have sneered at him.
As long as they killed their victims before the people managing Volcano Manor discovered what had happened, nobody would bother pursuing the matter.
That was simply the way things worked around the volcano. If their victims were unlucky, they had only themselves to blame…
Newcomers who knew nothing about Volcano Manor, who had no real understanding of its circumstances and weren't even wearing decent armor, made the best prey imaginable.
If such gullible fools could be tricked into coming here and ended up dead, then they deserved what they got…
So why not let them serve one final purpose and warm their hungry, ravenous stomachs?
The Recusants drew closer and closer, completely surrounding Lucian and Millicent as they prepared to finish things quickly.
Lucian remained perfectly calm. He even had enough spare attention to count the slightly heavy breaths coming from Millicent beside him.
Just thinking about what he was about to do made him want to laugh.
Sure enough, no matter the circumstances, baiting the enemy into attacking, crushing them with overwhelming force, and showing off afterward never failed to provide a satisfying emotional payoff.
He didn't engage in meaningless slaughter, but that didn't mean he disliked hearing his enemies scream in their final moments.
Sometimes, the only thing to blame was their own bad luck and their failure to recognize who they were dealing with.
Absolute rule inevitably required hegemony.
Every great undertaking had to be forged through sacrifice. Perhaps the sacrifices themselves couldn't understand why, but they still had to obey.
When justice had questions it couldn't answer, then those questions could be answered with strength.
After all, strength was precisely what justified being king.
But just as the tense confrontation was reaching its peak, a figure dressed in a light green robe suddenly hurried into the standoff.
Rya had come to greet them, stepping between Lucian and the group of Recusants.
Coming to a stop just in front of Lucian, Rya lifted her face and spoke eagerly.
"Ah! Sir Lucian, it's been so long!"
"So you've finally arrived! I sincerely apologize for not being here to welcome you sooner."
"Do you remember me? I'm Rya. We spoke once before in Liurnia."
"It's a little regrettable that I couldn't personally invite you to Volcano Manor…"
"But being able to meet you here still fills me with immense joy."
"Please, allow me to escort you to meet Lady Tanith."
Having said that, Rya turned around and looked timidly at the Recusants.
She wasn't particularly familiar with these so-called 'heroes of the volcano', since she wasn't the only person responsible for recruiting them.
Her recruiting skills weren't especially impressive, and she was often away from the manor. As a result, she didn't actually know that many of the 'heroes' who had been recruited.
All Rya knew was that this group frequently made life difficult for newly arrived 'heroes', and that its membership seemed to change constantly.
In her usual efforts to welcome those heroes whenever they arrived, she had more than once gotten into arguments with these people.
Although she was somewhat timid, Rya still did what she always had. She bit her lip and stood firmly in front of Lucian and Millicent, refusing to back down.
Heroes who were skilled in battle, possessed strong hearts, and dared to cross swords with their own kin…
Such people should have fought alongside Volcano Manor and become one of their own.
Out of a sense of duty, Rya didn't want to see anyone suffer injuries outside the battlefield.
When the Recusants saw that it was Rya, they finally stiffened their expressions and reluctantly opened up the encirclement.
Lucian smiled warmly at Rya.
'Rya is just too adorable here! Seeing the little mascot really does put you in a good mood.'
'Very well, I'll let these people off for now.'
'Later, depending on the circumstances, I'll consider whether Volcano Manor needs a little neutron annihilation or a Planetary Devastation to disinfect the place.'
Completely ignoring the Recusants' murderous stares, which practically wanted to strip the flesh from their bones in the most literal sense, Lucian and Millicent followed Rya toward the entrance of Volcano Manor.
After Rya had left, one of the Recusants mulled over what had just happened.
"Lucian? Where have I heard that name before?"
Another Recusant immediately shot him down without mercy.
"You're overthinking it. Besides, where would you have heard that name?"
"We haven't even left this place in ages, you idiot. Did you hear it in a dream or something?"
The Recusant who had been at the front of the group earlier curled his lip and cursed furiously.
"Our meal was practically in our mouths, and it still got away! That Rya, honestly…"
"She only knows a tiny fraction of the true darkness lurking within Volcano Manor. She's so naive that it's hard to believe she even belongs here."
"Does she even understand what Lord Rykard and Lady Tanith are trying to accomplish? The mutual devouring is permitted, after all!"
"And yet, because she's so clueless, she keeps saving those newcomers over and over again. Hmph. If I ever get the chance…"
A Recusant standing nearby suddenly struck, bringing his full strength down on the back of the complainer's head while he was busy grumbling.
Caught completely off guard, the Recusant's head caved in deeply, and he was nearly killed on the spot.
The attacked Recusant immediately staggered back to his feet and drew his weapon, attempting to retaliate.
However, several weapons struck from around him, stabbing him full of holes and killing him outright.
The other Recusants had been startled by the sudden, frame-one attack, but they quickly recovered and joined in the joyous celebration of beating the hell out of their 'companion'.
Only then did the assailant finally speak.
"Shut your mouth, you idiot… No matter how naive she is, she's still Lord Rykard's child."
"Lord Rykard might not punish you for it right now, and he probably doesn't care much about her existence himself. But Lady Tanith, who actually holds the reins of power at present, dotes on her. I suggest you remember that."
"Everyone except Rya herself understands this. With her special privileges, she's one of the people at Volcano Manor you absolutely must not provoke."
"If you end up attracting the attention of Sir Bernahl and Cambuja…"
Perhaps he realized that talking to a corpse was rather foolish. He chuckled and revealed a mouthful of sharp, bone-white teeth, made even more pointed by his taste for human flesh.
The assailant hoisted the corpse over his shoulder and beckoned to the others.
"Come on, let's head back. Looks like we're having meat again tonight."
"The outcome wasn't quite what we expected, but at least we'll still get to improve our meals."
The surrounding Recusants laughed coldly and cheered. Not one of them cared that their companion had just been inexplicably murdered.
Anyone could tell what had really happened. That fellow had simply wanted to kill someone and picked a convenient excuse.
But whether there was an excuse or not made little difference. Even if they suddenly broke into a chaotic free-for-all and slaughtered one another, none of them would find it particularly unusual.
After all, their loosely organized group existed for one reason alone: to make it easier to devour other scattered members of their own kind. As long as there was meat to eat, it didn't matter where the meat came from.
That was the brutal law of survival at the volcano. To stay alive, one had to remain constantly wary of the terrifying existence known as other people.
Take whatever benefits came your way. If something seemed wrong, get the hell out. Always remain alert.
And if someone ever let down their guard, or worse, accidentally began to trust their companions…
Then they shouldn't blame their companions for launching a frame-one attack.
Rya hurried forward, leading Lucian and Millicent into Volcano Manor. Only after they were safely inside did she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Turning toward Lucian, Rya wore an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry about that, Sir Lucian."
"The heroes of Volcano Manor all have very different personalities. Sometimes, they come up with rather strange ideas…"
"My mother… Ah, no, Lady Tanith hasn't given any specific instructions about this."
"So whenever I'm here, I stay nearby to help guide visitors."
Despite her apologetic tone, there was also the slightest hint of happiness in Rya's voice. She seemed pleased that she had once again managed to prevent an unnecessary conflict.
After speaking, Rya turned toward Millicent.
"Hmm, I don't believe I've met you before, miss… Please allow me to introduce myself."
"I'm Rya, and I serve Lady Tanith, the mistress of Volcano Manor."
"As a recruiter, it is my duty to invite those with the qualities of a hero to come to Volcano Manor."
Millicent placed her left arm in front of herself and bowed slightly to Rya.
She felt a great deal of goodwill toward the kind-hearted young woman standing before her.
"Millicent. I'm currently traveling with Sir Lucian."
Rya smiled at Millicent, then muttered to herself with a troubled expression.
"But what should we do if you don't have an invitation?"
After thinking for a moment, Rya took another invitation out from her clothes and respectfully offered it to Millicent with both hands.
"In that case… Although this invitation comes a little late, please accept it."
"It might be rather troublesome to explain the situation to Lady Tanith later…"
"But since you're traveling with Sir Lucian, I trust you just as much."
Millicent quickly understood the situation and accepted the invitation solemnly.
Once Millicent had taken it, Rya smiled and said,
"Then, please follow me, both of you. I'll take you deeper into the manor to meet Lady Tanith, the mistress of Volcano Manor."
Just then, a cheeky voice rang out from the staircase in the entrance hall.
"Yoo-hoo! Well, well, look who's here!"
Hearing that familiar voice, all three of them turned to look.
A gleaming bald head emerged from within Volcano Manor, and its owner approached the three of them with a mischievous grin.
Looking at Patches, Lucian couldn't help remarking,
"Patches, it seems you're doing pretty well for yourself here."
"You even seem to have… filled out a little."
Lucian had put it rather tactfully. In reality, Patches had very obviously gained quite a bit of weight.
The Patches of old had been skinny, giving off the impression of someone cunning and sharp-witted.
Because he lacked physical strength, he had relied on an enormous shield that could cover his entire body to bluff his way through encounters. He also favored a long spear, using it to poke at enemies from behind his shield while keeping the risks of attacking to a minimum.
But the Patches standing before him now had a bald head that was rounder and shinier than ever, and even his chin was no longer as pointed as it had once been.
Patches hummed a little tune, casually rubbed his head, and chuckled.
"Mm-hmm… The benefits here at Volcano Manor aren't bad."
"Especially for someone like me, who stays hidden here and never goes out."
"After all, everyone's usually busy hunting down and devouring their fellow Recusants to increase their strength."
"You know how it is. Unlike them, I didn't come here because I wanted to spend my days living dangerously, with my life constantly on the line."
"Well, anyway, thanks to them, I get a little extra in the way of supplies."
Having said that, Patches let out a particularly sly laugh before adding,
"…As long as you don't care where the meat comes from, it all tastes the same once it's in your mouth."
"Sometimes, thinking too much about things only creates unnecessary stress. Hehehe."
Listening to Patches, Millicent felt an ominous premonition settling over her.
So she would take that as Patches offering a kind warning. From this point on, she wasn't going to touch any of the food at Volcano Manor.
Rya tilted her head as she pondered Patches' words, too.
Now that he mentioned it… she had never really paid much attention to where the ingredients came from, either.
But Mr. Patches hadn't even been at Volcano Manor for very long. How was it that he seemed to understand certain things even better than she did?
Was she simply too slow to notice?
No, Mr. Patches was one of the heroes she herself had recruited.
It had to mean that she had an excellent eye for talent and had found a particularly capable hero. Hehe.
And so, Rya quickly put the matter out of her mind.
Rather than worrying about the food she had grown accustomed to eating every day, perhaps she should pay more attention to those strange noises she'd been hearing lately…
Sounds resembling breathing and scales rubbing against one another kept coming from the other side of the wall, leaving her increasingly uneasy and bewildered.