Chapter 263. Searching for the Witch (2)
As everyone drifted into the land of dreams at an ambitious hour, Hastia, who quietly left her room making sure none were to waken, promptly headed toward the kitchen. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief upon finding no one there, she was startled by the creaking noise of the kitchen’s side-door opening.
“Hmm? What are you doing at this ti?”
It was Emily.
Startled, Hastia stumbled a few steps backward.
“Did you get hungry? Because of those gluttons, it seed like you hadn’t eaten anything. Shall I make you so midnight snacks?”
Hastia quickly shook her head with vigor.
Did Emily suspect sothing unnatural in her behavior?
Suddenly, Emily approached Hastia.
“You said you were a White Elf, but really, everything from your head to your toes is completely white.”
Flawless skin and glossy white hair.
She seed to feel so envy towards Hastia’s appearance.
“It’s a bit of a pity that you can’t talk, though…”
As she spoke, she gently soothed Hastia’s shoulder.
“I don’t know what circumstances led you to entangle with our young master, but it’s better not to get your hopes up. There are already a number of formidable rivals for our young master aside from you.”
‘…?’
“Are you being naive? Or are you pretending not to know? Sigh! Who am I to worry about anyone else?” Emily mused, switching between giving advice and lanting over her circumstances.
Hastia, not knowing how to respond, simply bowed to Emily and hurried back to her room.
‘Phew….’
Once back in her room, Hastia let out a breath of relief.
As her thumping heart settled and she was about to open her eyes again,
‘…!’
Hastia was so startled that she collapsed onto the floor.
“Did I scare you?”
Sitting on her bed with crossed legs and swinging her tail was another woman – Nana.
‘When did she…?’
“Maybe around the ti Emily unnie said she felt a bit sad that you can’t talk? Probably around then, I guess.”
Nana replied with a bright smile, unlike Briyan and Emily, she could actually communicate with Hastia.
‘Why are you here?’
“It seed like Hastia’s gaze toward Emily unnie was a bit…harsh.”
‘That’s, that’s a misunderstanding.’
“Really? What kind of story did you share with Briyan in your room?”
Nana already knew everything between Hastia and Briyan, including their private conversation.
Given the circumstances, hiding anything more seed pointless.
Hastia stood up with a serious look and asked,
‘Nana, you knew about it, right?’
“About what?”
‘You couldn’t have missed Emily’s scent, not with the dragon’s blood mixed in you!’
“Well, I’m not really sure? I don’t sll anything particularly bad, so what seems to be the problem?” Nana shrugged, unperturbed.
“While Emily unnie said she’s sorry that Hastia can’t talk, I actually think it’s fortunate.”
Hastia blinked, not understanding Nana’s implication.
“Just keep staying still like that. Don’t open your mouth….”
With those words, Nana flashed a cute, beaming smile that Hastia perceived as a dragon before its prey.
And the next day…
“Is Lady Emily here?”
Out of the blue, imperial soldiers ca seeking her at the house.
Gazing at Emily’s bewildered expression standing by the door, they announced,
“Princess Arin commands that Lady Emily be brought to Belias imdiately.”
***
“Are you in your right mind, Your Majesty Demon King?”
Rogers’ eyes looked poised to grab the Demon King’s collar, brimming with venom.
“Because I am in my right mind, I am doing this.”
“I clearly asked you to bring the human who gave you the pendant.”
“That’s right.”
“Then what about these people? They’re obviously not the one who gave you the pendant, aren’t they? They don’t seem like ordinary humans at all. How can they carry such an absurd aura…!”
“Calm down, Rogers. Bestia once told . Always prioritize reason over nature. Think of the Demon Realm, not just myself….”
Belkarion exhaustedly justified his actions.
“I’ve made the best choice I could for her and for the Demon Realm.”
“Fine. Regardless, it is the Demon King’s choice, and I will respect it. So, I should believe that these two humans can liberate Bestia from the pendant?”
“We have to believe they can. As I am now, led more by reason than my true nature, there is nothing else I can do.”
Belkarion and Rogers gazed quietly beyond the widely opened door with doubt and trust equally present in their eyes.
“If we forcibly removed the pendant, bound by a strong repelling force…”
“And if we did?”
“Why bother saying it? The wearer would simply explode along with it.”
Lemiharam calmly spoke with a shrug.
“Even the dark magic this fellow has will likely be ineffective. Its source is a different power altogether.”
“Isn’t it worth a try?”
“I wouldn’t recomnd it. As I said earlier, we don’t know what kind of rejection reaction could co from the pendant.”
Hasty attempts could lead to grave misfortunes.
In the Demon Realm, unlike in the human world, any single action required great caution, and Lemiharam’s scope of actions was extrely limited.
“I’ve never seen or heard of such power before.”
“It makes sense. I too did not expect this power to remain.”
Lunab mused, hands joined around the pendant, looking intently at the peacefully sleeping Bestia.
“Why, facing a new race called demons, does your curiosity not pique?”
“Not really. Rather the opposite.”
Lemiharam raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Now that I see, demons are not much different from us.”
“Why do you think so?”
Lunab silently pointed towards Bestia.
“In the end, even the man called the Demon King ca to us for Bestia. Humans move for humans, and demons move for demons, what’s so special about that?”
Lemiharam responded with a cryptic smile instead of words.
While Lunab and the pendant’s owner discussed the pendant, Xian looked on indifferently leaning against a wall when Keram quietly appeared, whispering.
[Do you really think those two can dismantle the pendant?]
“That’s what it sounds like you’re not thinking.”
[The power of seduction within the pendant isn’t magic. This ans that neither they nor I can wield much power over it.]
“Thought you were divine, but not so useful after all, huh?”
[Wouldn’t it have been better to confront the Demon King instead? Wouldn’t it have been much better for you, without many headaches?]
“And you expect to do such favors?”
Xian snorted, dismissing the possibility.
[Well, I’m not the one who rushes you. Wouldn’t we soon clash anyway?]
“What do you an?”
Keram vanished with a seductive laugh, offering no reply.
Xian exhaled uncomfortably and turned his gaze back towards where Lunab was.
“Was it all because of that demon?”
The reason why the Demon King, who had no interest in the human world, had co all the way from the chasm to the boundary gate was because he touched sothing that should never be touched.
If that was truly because of that demon,
wasn’t protecting that demon all that was needed?
Then Lunab, finished with his analysis, joined Xian.
“Is the analysis complete?”
“Yes. To put it simply, it’s impossible to dismantle the pendant with our powers or the senior’s.”
A disappointing start indeed.
“It’s a totally different kind of power. It completely rejects any other power, whether force or magic…”
As absurd as it was to hear, it was no less strange for the speaker.
“It’s the first ti I’ve felt such powerlessness.”
A bitter sentint was clear on Lunab’s face.
As Xian witnessed this, he contemplated internally.
Keram’s words might actually beco reality.
What would happen if he told the Demon King, who was staring at them through the door, about this?
There would be no simple dismissal.
It was highly likely that the situation at the boundary gate would recur.
“So, there’s no way at all?”
“Not that there is no way. For now, it might as well be…”
“Speak up. I’ll listen at least once.”
Lunab continued with a wry expression.
“We don’t lack the power to dismantle it. In fact, the way to do it is simple. The structure is very simple. Just bring soone who doesn’t trigger the pendant’s rejection response, and have them dismantle it.”
“Are you talking about soone who isn’t affected by the power of seduction?”
“Yes. Currently, the most certain way is to find the witch as that man the Demon King ntioned and have her dismantle it. Otherwise…”
“Wait! Wait, almost got it!”
Xian held Lunab’s shoulder tight, trying to organize his thoughts.
“If what you say is true, then even if it’s not the witch, if soone is immune to the power of seduction, that’s all it takes to dismantle the pendant, right?”
“That’s out of question.”
Lunab imdiately rejected the idea.
“Soone immune to power? Does such a person even exist?”
There was only one person who could provide an answer to that question.
Xian recalled Yulken Darius, a knight part of the frontline troops who had never been influenced by power due to his strong resolve and loyalty to his father, the commanding officer. Having been imprisoned in the estate for being the only frontline knight unaffected by power, that knight might be the key…
“Senior.”
Lunab cautiously interrupted Xian’s growing excitent.
“Do you think my faith and will towards the senior aren’t anything special?”
Xian was speechless, unable to respond.
“The power is so deeply terrifying that even with my deep feelings for the senior, I fear it might make turn away from you. This isn’t about ntal strength resisting with faith or will.”
Lunab strongly denied it.
It was a power of seduction that no human willpower could ever withstand.
Thinking about it, he was right.
After all, it was the sa power that had overco even the Imperial Emperor, Dione, known as the Holy Ruler, and Bert, the Guardian of the Continent.
And the thought that a single determined knight could endure such power?
It was as good as impossible.
‘Then what was the Yulken I saw?’
* * *
In the northwest territory of the Usiph Empire, the domain of the Baron of Barrens.
“Yes. Looking at the seal, it seems certain that it’s a letter from Duke Bert, but…”
Duke Julian Barrens gazed suspiciously at Yulken sitting opposite him.
“How could I believe that this letter truly contains Duke Bert’s intentions?”
“Do you not trust , or do you not trust the Duke?”
“Both, I dare say. Isn’t the Duke’s impressive eldest son there by his side right now? The one who caused such a commotion in the capital?”
“…”
“Honestly, I was a bit surprised. For an envoy to co, not just any knight, but Duke Bert’s aide-de-camp, I expected an urgent ssage from the Duke, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”
Baron Barrens tossed the letter he was reading back in front of Yulken.
Soon, dozens of ard knights surrounded them.
“You must be tired from your journey, so rest well today. You should be sent back to the capital early tomorrow.”
As the baron was about to rise from his seat,
“Duke Bert said it doesn’t really matter whether you trust him or not…”
Yulken spoke up again.
“Interesting. Then what is important?”
“Your thoughts, Baron.”
“My thoughts?”
“Do you truly wish to see this Empire enveloped in black mist and darkness?”
Baron Barrens’s lips twitched subtly at that mont.
(Continued in the next episode)
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