Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Witch & Familiar
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Violet was generally kind and gentle with everyone.
She had felt loneliness in her childhood, but she was surrounded by good witches and her family. Thanks to her innate nature, she had never truly hated or disliked anyone.
No matter how much she fought or argued with someone, it was natural for her to reconcile within a week.
That was the kind of woman she was.
But Olga Virtus was different. Violet couldn't even imagine sitting down with her for a friendly cup of coffee and a heart-to-heart talk.
Of course, most of the problems in her relationship with Olga stemmed from Olga herself.
From the very first moment they met, Violet had known that Olga harbored a strange mix of hatred and jealousy toward her.
So those feelings were one-sided.
There were plenty of other women who envied Violet besides Olga, and there was no real reason for Violet to befriend her specifically. So Violet never bothered to resolve Olga's negative emotions.
But that one-sided dynamic suddenly collapsed in an instant one day.
Olga Virtus had set her sights on Arthin Ludwig—the man Violet loved.
Violet tried not to pay it any mind at first.
She didn't think Arthin would fall for a woman who pretended to be like her on the surface but was actually cunning and even malicious underneath.
However, contrary to Violet's expectations, Olga Virtus began to gradually claim the seat beside Arthin.
She sent letters when they were far apart and, when close, cleverly used her position as a saintess to keep Kaiyen and Arthin by her side... all while blocking Violet from becoming Arthin's lover.
At some point, without realizing it, Violet began to see her as a true rival. Beneath the surface, she competed fiercely to win Arthin.
Tragically, there was no victor in that contest.
Arthin met his death, Olga fell into despair and became a wreck of a person, and Violet burned herself out in revenge, accelerating humanity's downfall.
—And at the very moment the Demon King awakened and declared the end of the world, Violet snapped out of her vengeance and was overcome with emptiness.
Because this wasn't the ending she had wanted. If Olga had married Arthin instead, Violet would have cried her heart out in sorrow, but at least Arthin would have been happy.
...Even so, she didn't resent Olga. She found her personally infuriating, but she couldn't blame a woman who had shed tears in Arthin's place—even becoming a shell of herself—when he died.
In her final moments, as she closed her eyes, Violet thought: If she ever got another chance, she would truly strive for happiness that time.
If she had just yielded a little, maybe Arthin wouldn't have died.
If she had been a little more proactive in protecting him, maybe Arthin wouldn't have died.
If she had just been a little more capable...
Our story might have had a happy ending.
But sadly, even in this world with an afterlife, it seemed she wouldn't get her happy ending.
For some reason, Arthin's soul couldn't be found in hell or heaven.
The fact that she couldn't reunite with him even in death hurt her to the core.
...Violet's life ended in regret, despair, and sorrow.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
And if anyone had witnessed the 5th cycle's world, they surely would have said:
'But holy shit, this actually works?'
Yes. Whether it was a miracle from the goddess or something else entirely, Violet had gained a new life.
Of course, memories from right before her death in her previous life had left her lacking confidence and wandering aimlessly at first. But with Arthin's encouragement and salvation, she regained just the right amount of self-assurance.
So Violet decided to get greedy. Seeing Agnes borrow others' time to extend her own, she began hatching a small plan.
'Hehe, on the last day of private lessons. Borrow time from the other girls and spend the whole day on a date with Arthin. And then...'
Violet resolved to give her virginity to Arthin as a gift saved for a special day. Unlike other women, it would be their first night together, shared in love on a memorable occasion when they were alone.
The plan was perfect. The other women had tried to hide it, but they couldn't conceal their pity for Violet and didn't refuse her request. Arthin hadn't refused either, so all she needed was Sunday to arrive.
'Hmm... the lingerie Hecate sis and Medea sis sent last time is pretty bold...'
Yes, even on that day when the three women gathered during the private lessons, Violet was gossiping while simultaneously obsessing over her date plans.
...Until she received Olga's letter.
*
'I don't care about other women... but I can't let Olga into the harem carelessly.'
When the others parted ways saying they'd watch out for the rest, Violet felt a sense of crisis. It was only natural. In the 3rd cycle, she alone had experienced Olga's true nature.
Everyone acknowledged Olga was dangerous thanks to her warning, but they didn't seem to grasp just how venomous and calculating she was.
"Olga definitely... finished investigating us from behind the scenes before making her move. That's why she sent that challenge—because she's certain of victory."
What was her scheme? Kidnap Arthin to the Northern Church? Or expose his promiscuous harem life with him and arrest him under the pretext of correction?
Whatever it was, she needed to be in a position to counter whatever plot Olga cooked up.
"Arthin, let's skip the date for now and read books together today?"
"Huh? Sure, Violet."
"Yeah... of course. You've been so tired this week, Arthin. It'd be great if you relaxed with me!"
First things first: cancel the date and preserve her purity.
"You want me to monitor and watch the teacher's movements?"
"Yes, I need your help, Al'Miraz. It's really important for Arthin..."
"Well, as your familiar, I can handle that much. Leave it to me!"
She kept her distance under the excuse of studies and grades, had Al'Miraz act as a proxy watcher, and played the innocent Violet Purplecrow to the hilt.
It wasn't hard. She just kept acting as she always had.
It was like fishing, but easier—no need to bait the hook; she just had to wait.
"V-Violet! Big trouble! The, the teacher! With that saintess Olga!"
...The massive bait named Arthin was already dangling right in front of her, and the saintess had bitten hard.
"Calm down and tell me everything, Al'Miraz."
*
Following Mephisto's orders, Al'Miraz naturally went straight to Violet first.
He figured if anyone had foreseen this, it would be her—and she might have a countermeasure.
"Hmm... Mephisto said that? The saintess has been secretly meeting Arthin every night?"
"Yes, exactly! He said if we leave it alone, it'll ruin the teacher...!"
Violet recalled the morning assembly that day and pieced together a rough outline of Olga's plan.
A priestess preaching chastity calls Kaiyen and Arthin for a private talk, then secretly contacts Arthin without anyone knowing.
She couldn't see the full picture, but it didn't matter. Provoke her at the key moment, and that woman would crumble for sure.
'...That expression from back then. If she remembers and feels it too, Olga must be pretty desperate right now.'
Ways to smack down the arrogant saintess daring to monopolize Arthin flooded her mind fiercely. She had the winning hand, and the opponent was surely off guard.
"Olga definitely mentioned the Rose Pavilion incident to Arthin, right?"
"Yes, Mephisto told me clearly. She brought up the Rose Pavilion and thought of Arthin."
This was a lie. Considering when she sent the letter, the plan had started earlier.
It probably began with the Authority Thief. The Demon King's spy infiltrating the academy would be a hot topic even for the Northern Church, and it surely reached the saintess Olga's ears.
'...But if she saw the Rose Pavilion report...'
What did Olga think upon reading the report of the Rose Pavilion incident, where she herself had been helplessly dragged along without confidence? Agnes, whom Arthin declared as his fiancée, would surely seem like the biggest obstacle to Olga.
"...Al'Miraz, I have a plan."
"A plan? W-what plan?"
"Just do a few things as I say."
It didn't matter. The weaker she seemed, the more Olga would let her guard down... and she could swoop in for the juiciest part.
With that in mind, Violet asked Al'Miraz to handle a few tasks in preparation—manipulating the harem from the shadows to rescue Arthin.
**
[So, that's really the scheme that half-baked witch came up with?]
"...Yes, that's right, Mephisto."
Right after sending Violet to where Arthin and Olga were, Al'Miraz and Mephisto—watching via surveillance magic—felt a twinge of bewilderment.
[Really? That's the half-baked witch?]
"Yes, I followed Violet's instructions and executed the strategy..."
Even as he said it, Al'Miraz felt chills.
Because carrying out this operation had let him witness the true face of Violet, who had only seemed innocent and kind up until now.
Violet didn't panic or act rashly when Arthin entered the church.
Instead, she used information from Unicorn, Shaomei, and Agnes to finalize her plan.
Agnes was a bit anxious after hearing the info Al'Miraz passed on after Violet's vetting—because he'd exaggerated, saying the saintess might pounce on or kidnap Arthin at any moment.
"Then only Violet can visit... I'm not sure if she can handle Saintess Olga alone."
"Um, Your Highness? I have a good idea..."
"Oh? What is it, Al'Miraz?"
"If meeting in person won't work, what about letters?"
As Violet had instructed, he induced the harem members to write love letters.
"If I combine my hell magic with Circe's demon magic, we might make a gap in the church's barrier. But someone needs to draw attention—can Violet do it alone?"
"You're right... We'll need helpers, so I'll look into it."
As Violet instructed, he also requested advisors to speak on behalf of him and Violet.
In fact, Olga initially focused on blocking Violet, but as the conversation flowed, she grew more wary of the silent Al'Miraz creating a gap in the barrier and Princess Marianne, a friend of Agnes the Imperial Princess.
"I've connected it to the teacher and set up the magic as instructed! Now we just infiltrate the dorm at the right time..."
"Oh, waiting for the 'right time'? We can prepare ahead. Al'Miraz."
"...Pardon? What do you mean?"
Right after finishing the magic setup, Violet and Al'Miraz left the visiting room and returned to their dorms.
There, Violet was casually picking out lingerie.
"Didn't you see Olga's face? She's more impulsive than I thought... She'll probably make a move on Arthin tonight at the latest."
"...Huh? You induced that reaction on purpose? Then shouldn't we rescue the teacher right now?!"
Al'Miraz shuddered, recalling Olga leaving the visiting room, still baffled by her reaction.
But Violet just smiled and began changing into pristine white lace lingerie.
"Remember why I said I'm still a virgin, Al'Miraz?"
"Uh? To save it for a special day, right?"
"Exactly. And today feels like a very special day."
Violet slipped into a revealing gothic dress over the lingerie and gazed at her reflection in the mirror.
She even struck poses, wondering how best to make her entrance, all while looking utterly relaxed.
"After turning my rival's first time into a pathetic climax, then having my own romantic, tender first time with Arthin right in front of her... What do you think?"
"....Huh? What do you mean?"
"She'll make such a frustrated face, don't you think? But since she tried to monopolize him, she deserves that much punishment, in my opinion."
Violet leisurely touched the crystal orb in the room, and at that moment, Arthin lay unconscious in Olga's arms.
Seeing that, Violet crossed her legs, sat back, and calmly decided to wait her turn.
"She did send a challenge and consider Arthin's feelings, so if he wants, we can include her in the harem. Right? If she'd actually been caught kidnapping him secretly, I'd have punished her much more severely."
"...Y-you..."
—Recalling the smile Violet had worn then, and seeing her now in the orb, Al'Miraz simply couldn't adjust.
"...I don't know much, but this woman isn't half-baked. She just doesn't need to be malicious, so she lives kindly."
[...]
Mephisto recalled an old hellish proverb.
'Never forget: even the first devil was heaven's archangel before falling.'