Dorothy and Kaya frowned.
“Wait a second. Let’s clear this up. You, can’t you use proper titles? What, did you marry the President or sothing?”
“There’s a deep story between Baby and I. Oh, I guess Dorothy wouldn’t know that. Sorry.”
Alice answered slyly, covering her mouth.
“A story?”
“Sir Isaac?”
Dorothy’s burning gaze and Kaya’s questioning eyes turned towards .
They were shooting anger-filled suspicion, wondering what kind of story justified the title “Darling”.
As expected of my beloved characters. They’re cute.
“It’s nothing serious. It’s from when we went undercover last ti. I’ll explain later.”
“No… if it’s sothing like that, I don’t think you need to explain it.”
Dorothy gave a sinister smile and glared at Alice.
“Is it in your nature to act childishly over trivial things, Alice?”
“Heh. Our Dorothy really knows how to pick the most pleasant things to say, huh?”
Alice responded with a gentle smile.
While the two were having a stare-down, Kaya and I approached thel Valencia.
“She’s in a dream right now, isn’t she?”
“Yes. She’s been trapped in a nightmare. It seems she’s having a scary dream.”
The power of Alice’s Vorpal Sword was to lead one into an eternal nightmare.
The only way to escape was for the caster to pull them out of the nightmare.
The truly malicious aspect of that power was that it didn’t just show frightening nightmares, but repeatedly stimulated the target’s trauma.
I knew this thanks to the bad ending 「Nightmare」that occurred if the player was defeated by the power of the Vorpal Sword in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ during「Alice Subjugation」.
Right then, the Celestial, thel, must also have been swimming in a sorrowful past.
“Hilde, Alice. Good job.”
[As a reward, I wish for you to pet to your heart’s content!]
“Good girl. You did well.”
As I showered her with praise and petted Hilde’s head, her expression lted.
[Mmm… Will you not pet other places like usual?]
“That’ll be later.”
Hilde looked no different from a human woman right now.
I couldn’t pet her chest or belly like when she was in her small dragon form. I had so decency.
By the way…
She’s definitely gotten stronger.
The reason a dangerous enemy like thel, level 185, fell to Alice was simple.
It was all thanks to Hilde.
[Familiar]
Frost Dragon Hilde (Lv: 195)
Grade: ★8
Species: Magic Beast
Elent: Ice
Bond: 100
Synchronization: 95
Summoning Mana Consumption: 95,000
Skill Tree ❰❰Details❱❱
Hilde had beco incredibly strong.
It looks like she leveled up again. Soon, Hilde would be reclassified as the highest grade, 9-star.
In any case, Hilde first subdued thel, and then Alice hit her with the power of the Vorpal Sword, which left her in that state.
I relayed my command through Hilde’s mind.
The Vorpal Sword is definitely terrifying.
Once again, I realized how terrifying the power of the Vorpal Sword truly was.
Just imagining what would’ve happened if I had fallen to this power when Alice was an enemy sent chills down my spine.
“I can invite her into my labyrinth. We don’t have to wake her up; we can talk there. What do you think, Baby? Do you want to co inside ?”
Alice stared intently into my eyes as she asked.
At the ti, Vuel was being monitored by Phantom Cat, Cheshire.
It was blending in among the academy staff, pretending it had nothing to do with this situation, helping to manage the aftermath calmly.
That must an it has no intention of running away.
So, I decided to put off dealing with Vuel until after I spoke with thel.
Since she was probably one of Vuel’s subordinates.
“I have a request.”
“Baby, I’m yours, aren’t I?”
“Huh?”
“It’s not a request. You can just order to do anything.”
Alice pointed to the black choker around her neck as she answered.
The symbol of our master-servant relationship was hidden by the choker. It seed she was referring to that.
“Well… alright. But can you tell what kind of dream she’s having right now?”
“Yes, I can even peek into it.”
“Show . Then lead to the labyrinth.”
“As you wish. Co here.”
As I approached, Alice spread her arms wide.
“A little closer.”
“…?”
“Co, hug . Only then can you enter into .”
No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t seem necessary.
“No matter how much I think about it, there’s no way that could be true!”
“Exactly! Sothing feels off! Aren’t you revealing your personal desires too blatantly?”
Dorothy and Kaya fiercely protested, sharing my thoughts, but Alice shook her head.
“If soone wants to enter my labyrinth, they must fulfill the conditions I set. I simply made sothing as innocent as holding Baby in my arms a requirent. So why the complaint?”
“…You’re acting more and more childish, aren’t you?”
“Whose fault do you think that is?”
Alice gazed at affectionately.
Well… she’s been through a lot too. If my embrace comforts her, I’m fine with it.
I embraced Alice.
“That’s right.”
Alice stroked my head and pulled tightly into her embrace.
If anything, it feels like I’m the one being comforted…
“Welco, co into .”
Alice’s whisper tickled my ear, and with the sensation of my consciousness drifting away, my mind was sucked into soone’s dream.
Like a god, I looked down at an unfamiliar land from the sky.
It was a place I had never seen before. In the sky, a massive planet with rings and a beautiful, clear Milky Way were vividly visible.
Clang!
Clang-clang!!
Boom!!
On a mysterious land filled with giant white trees, two armies, fully ard, were locked in battle, attacking each other.
It was war.
One side was an unknown race, while the other was a race I recognized.
White wings protruded from the gaps in their armor at their waists.
Heavenly Beings?
The Heavenly Beings wielded Divine Power, fighting desperately, and many shed blood and lost their lives.
Among them, I saw a female Heavenly Being. Perhaps because it was thel’s nightmare, I felt an overwhelming pull towards her and could instantly distinguish her.
Is that thel?
thel was sobbing sorrowfully as she embraced her already fallen comrade.
I heard thel’s voice in response to my will.
[Don’t die… What’s the point of this war… Why do you… Why do we… have to endure this… Please, don’t leave …]
thel’s nightmare was a continuous war.
She still believed she was on the battlefield, writhing in the anguish of losing comrades and the fear that she, too, might die.
I didn’t want to see this anymore.
“…That’s enough. Alice, send to the labyrinth.”
The scene before faded away in an instant.
My body entered sowhere, and it felt as if it had been physically transported.
The sensations are vivid.
I pressed down firmly on the back of my hand and felt it. My physical senses were fully intact.
I looked around.
A room designed in a red and black chessboard pattern.
Various red furniture was scattered around, and the walls were filled with crooked clocks.
In the middle of the room, thel, in her original form, sat unconscious in a chair.
Snow-white hair, wings attached to her waist, and two pairs of eyes.
Tears stread down her cheeks from her four eyes.
“Baby.”
In the blink of an eye, Alice appeared beside .
“In this place, you can do anything. But rember, if you hurt soone here, the damage is inflicted on their mind. Keep that in mind.”
This was Alice’s labyrinth, a space of the mind.
If one attacked soone there, it was their mind that suffered the blow, not their body.
I nodded and approached thel.
“Should I wake her?”
“Yes.”
Upon hearing my answer, Alice snapped her fingers cheerfully.
Soon, thel slowly opened her eyes like soone who had just woken up.
[What…?]
Her voice was tinged with sobs.
thel lifted her head and looked at with a face full of confusion, but soon regained her composure and widened her eyes in shock.
[Ice Sovereign…!]
“You’re awake.”
[What… what’s going on…?]
“Tell . Why did you try to kill ?”
[…!]
thel’s pupils trembled. She seed lost for words.
It would have been hard to feign ignorance.
Even before thel had done anything, Hilde and Alice had already subdued her, as if her intentions had been exposed from the start.
Besides, I was speaking as if I had known everything from the very beginning.
If I were thel, I would have been confused about how my plans were uncovered. It seed thel’s thought process was no different from my predictions, as confird through [Psychological Insight].
thel kept her mouth tightly shut and lowered her head. I took off my glasses, knelt down, and leaned forward to et her gaze at eye level.
[…]
Silence.
Fine, we’ll see how long you can keep your silence.
[Urgh!]
I grabbed thel’s hair and lifted her, forcing her to et my gaze.
She glared at with trembling pupils, filled with a strong mix of fear and hostility.
“Then I’ll just ask two things. That should be enough.”
[…]
“You, the student disguise you took on. Where’s that student now? Did you kill her?”
thel had disguised herself as a navy blue-haired female student to participate in the Academy Clash.
Which ant she must have done sothing to the real student with the appearance.
Thinking it was a harmless question, thel shook her head.
[Without Lord Vuel’s orders, I do not kill… That human is just asleep in her room.]
thel answered in a calm and asured tone.
Using [Psychological Insight], I confird that her words were true.
So the student is safe. That’s a relief.
“Alice, once we leave here, inform Bellatrix Academy.”
“As you command.”
“Next. Tell what Vuel did before coming to Märchen Academy.”
I knew Vuel’s objective. It couldn’t change.
The important thing was what Vuel had done before coming to the academy.
On that day, unaware that he might have made a deal with Rachnil, we ended up facing an unexpected situation.
I couldn’t let sothing like that happen again.
[…I don’t know.]
I had expected her to remain silent, but to my surprise, thel answered obediently.
It made sense. She truly didn’t know.
[I only act according to Lord Vuel’s orders. I don’t think or question anything. So, I know nothing.]
It was the truth.
Her attempt to assassinate was simply following Vuel’s orders, and she didn’t know what he was up to.
Thanks to witnessing her nightmare, I understood why she followed Vuel.
I also knew what Vuel planned to do next.
If the Heavenly Being was nothing more than a blindly obedient dog following Vuel, she wouldn’t be much help.
“…I see.”
Thud.
I grabbed thel by the face.
thel’s eyes widened in shock, but I just stared back at her calmly.
“You’re worthless.”
[W-wait…!]
I strengthened my grip.
[Kyaaah…!]
Crack.
The sound of flesh and bone twisting, and a scream deflating like air from a punctured balloon.
thel’s head crumpled like a can, then quietly burst.
Since this was a ntal space, no blood splattered. Instead, a large amount of glowing red dust silently flowed out.
The pain of having your head crushed would be the sa as if it happened in real life. Such agony must have been a rare experience.
“Anyway, Heavenly Beings are immune to ntal attacks. Keep her restrained.”
I put my glasses back on and smiled warmly at Alice as I spoke.
Alice looked at with a cryptic expression. I couldn’t read her emotions or figure out why she made that face.
“…Are you leaving right away?”
“Yeah, I’ve got sowhere to be.”
I felt my consciousness being pulled sowhere once again, as I returned to reality.
In Aldreque, a certain alley.
As I walked, I saw that Vuel was there. I noticed him with [Clairvoyance].
He must have sensed my [Clairvoyance] too, realizing I was looking for him. That was why he was waiting for in the alley.
It was a fairly wide alley.
A brown-haired man, leaning against the wall, greeted . It was Instructor Ronzainus.
“Vuel…”
“You’ve co.”
For so reason, it was a welco sight today.
“You’ve worked hard. Truly befitting of a human hero. Protecting everyone and defeating the fairy and that powerful demon… I’m almost in awe.”
“…”
“So, what happened to my subordinate? Did you kill her?”
I took off my glasses and began cleaning the lenses with a glasses cloth.
“Does that even matter…?”
A low monologue mingled with the sound of my breath.
“She was a disposable piece anyway.”
“I don’t have such things.”
“Is that so… I see.”
The hand that was cleaning the glasses paused.
“I realized sothing today. I think… I’ve been treating you the wrong way all along.”
“What?”
Bang!!
I kicked off the ground, grabbed Instructor Ronzainus by the neck, and slamd him into the wall.
[Urgh!]
Cracks ford in the building’s wall, and a brief scream escaped from Ronzainus.
Ronzainus’s hair turned white as his appearance morphed into Vuel.
Ssshhhhk!!
I deployed an ice barrier around the area.
With [Clairvoyance], I had already identified the area and confird no civilians would be trapped within the barrier.
[The Heavenly Being has been recognized as an enemy.]
[The unique trait [Accuser] is activated!]
[Your level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!]
[Your skill tree temporarily becos 10!]
[What are you doing, Ice Sovereign…! This is foolish…!]
Vuel grabbed my arm, struggling and gasping for breath.
With my free hand, I clenched my fist and swung it toward Vuel’s head.
Boom!!
Vuel’s head burst apart, and the wall of the building behind him crumbled down with it.
Rippling white bloodstains.
I threw Vuel’s limp body to the ground.
Crash!!
The ground broke apart.
Light slowly gathered, restoring Vuel’s head to its original form.
Before Vuel could move, I stomped down hard on his chest.
The regenerated Vuel scowled nacingly and glared at .
[I am immortal…! Surely you know what will happen if you keep attacking like this…! Everything you’re doing to right now is pointless…!]
I lifted my foot off Vuel’s body slightly before slamming it down harshly once again.
Boom!
Vuel’s chest caved in, and his entrails, including his heart, burst forth in a gush.
Vuel died on the spot, but light gathered again, quickly healing and resurrecting him.
He glared at once more, with life returned to his eyes.
[You fool…! Tell , Ice Sovereign. What aning does this have?]
“aning?”
Whoooosh!
I gathered ice mana in my right hand, and a five-star ice-elental magic circle appeared above it.
It was the spell for [Frost Explosion].
“I’m just relieving stress.”
I swung my hand, now brimming with condensed ice mana, fiercely toward Vuel.
Booooom!!!!
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