Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: Lemon Taste
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Griffin Kingdom's southern Bright Family territory, Viollen, all the way past the north to the Clock Republic.
If asked how Deus Verdi could warp back in an instant, the number one contributor was undoubtedly his fiancée.
Erika Bright.
"Ugh, that was rough."
The Zeronia Family had already left, and due to Deia's stubbornness, they were staying a few more days in Viollen.
She sat on the railing of a nearby flower bed, complaining about her hardships so far, and flashed a grin.
"What the hell is this situation, Deia?"
It was beyond absurd—some inexplicable irritation surged up, furrowing my brow as I glared at her, but Deia immediately pointed the blame with an exaggerated chin gesture.
"Your future wife suggested it. I just went along as the good sister-in-law."
Where Deia pointed stood Erika, who had created a pillar of golden light.
She checked if it was properly formed, a satisfied smile on her lips.
"Thanks to that, the Bright Family's scared stiff of us now, right? Good thing we did the background check."
I felt an urge to smack Deia's head as she shrugged, saying Darius could never pull this off.
That explained why the family head Elan and the eldest and second sons of the Bright Family were watching Deia's moods.
"Anyway, I just helped, and contacting the royals and fooling them was all big sis-in-law."
"You two seem pretty close."
She called herself the sister-in-law and referred to Erika as big sis-in-law, so maybe she acknowledged her.
Deia gave a wry smile and glanced at Erika.
"A woman who gave you up to stay close to you. Gotta admit she's smart."
"......"
"No idea what you'll choose, but if you're breaking up, do it gently."
With that, Deia crossed her legs and turned her gaze to the pillar of light ravaging the Bright Family garden.
She took in the rare sight as if committing it to memory.
Sensing she was done talking, I sighed and headed toward Erika.
Noticing my approach, she smiled and shrugged.
"I contacted the royals. Using this, we'll go straight to Camp 1 in the Clock Republic."
"Erika."
Pretending not to hear, Erika kept talking.
"Good thing Elenoa and Aria moved first. They must've noticed something off with you at the academy and that Pindenai disappeared, so they acted ahead."
Those two were involved too.
I'd clearly told them to stay put, but no one listened.
"Erika."
"Pindenai should be there. Go get that runaway maid."
"Erika."
"......"
Finally unable to ignore my calls, Erika took a deep breath and looked up sharply.
"Yeah, Deus."
"I never asked for this."
"I know."
A straightforward answer, but one I couldn't brush off lightly.
"But you needed it."
"......"
Silently turning my eyes up to the golden pillar, Erika did the same.
"Impressive, right? I mixed my specialty, light magic, into the Magic Inquisitors' warp. Makes it way faster and safer."
"They'd need a ton of mana to open the passage on this side too."
"Even if our family's blockheads are dumb, their mana reserves are top in the kingdom."
Still staring with my lips pressed tight, Erika slowly approached.
"A gift from your fiancée, who worked hard on it. You really gonna refuse?"
"Why go this far?"
At my question, Erika smiled bitterly but tried to hide it.
"Because I love you?"
"......"
"That's why I'm sending you. I can't fill Pindenai's void right now."
"Hoo."
Exhaling deeply, I looked down at my feet for a moment.
My heart was clearly urging me to take this and go to her.
But leaving the woman in front of me gnawed at me.
Did she sense that?
Tug.
Erika grabbed my collar and pulled gently.
A small gesture, but my relaxed upper body leaned forward naturally.
My gaze, fixed on the ground, saw Erika's heels lift.
Soft lips met mine. The pillar of light enveloped us like a spotlight, creating a serene atmosphere.
A faint lemon scent tickled my nose.
She pulled away with a soft pop, cautiously opening her eyes to look at me.
Determined not to cry, she smiled, but it only hurt more.
"Gotta put up a fight."
Her raised hand now rested on my chest.
"Leave this moment etched in your heart."
With that, Erika pushed me into the pillar of light.
Caught off guard, I startled, and far off, Deia shouted something.
But soon, I was sucked into the light, and the scenery shifted.
[Whoaaa! Where are we going?!]
Then, the Black Necromancer's voice rang in my ear. She'd been invisible lately—I wondered where she was—but now she clung to my shoulder.
Warp mid-flight and we could still chat like this. Casually, I asked.
"Where've you been?"
[......Soul-searching or whatever. More importantly, how was the kiss?]
"......"
[Not gonna answer?]
"If you know, don't ask."
"Tch, I never got to when I was alive."
Grumbling, she leaned closer, as if refusing to let go.
But one thing bugged me.
"Alive?"
So she'd done it after dying?
[......]
The Black Necromancer shut her mouth, cheeks puffing like a sulk. The moment I thought I'd gleaned annoying info.
[Kuaaaah!]
[Save meeee!]
[Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!]
[Hell! This is hell!]
[President! I curse you! President! Curse yooou!]
We'd arrived in the republic.
Wails from resentful souls welcomed us violently.
The republic's chill, the encircling Magic Inquisitors, Elenoa, even Aria hiding behind Tairn's back.
None registered.
Just the ear-splitting shrieks of rampaging souls and the masses blanketing earth and sky drew a sigh from me unwittingly.
"How is it this chaotic?"
I'd never seen anything like it.
Far in the sky, not clouds but wandering dead floated.
I'd thought the ground faded, but it was souls too.
Truly, no spot lacked the dead.
A land treating human lives like machine parts.
The Clock Republic.
[I'll help block it.]
Seeing and hearing the same, the Black Necromancer shook her head and gathered mana.
The piercing screams quieted, no longer disrupting everything.
"Hey! You said no calling the professor!"
"Quiet!"
Aria's grumbling reached me as she approached Elenoa, hiding behind Tairn.
My gaze hit the two girls, and they flinched, at a loss.
"Haa."
In the end, only a deep sigh escaped.
They'd ignored my order to stay put, but they'd acted for me.
Couldn't just scold them outright.
"Over there."
Elenoa gestured subtly.
At the end, bloodied Pindenai lay collapsed before a massive building door.
Her clothes soaked in blood screamed she'd fought to her limit, but the empty vials rolling around said she'd survived the worst.
Unwittingly, my feet carried me toward her.
Steady, heavy steps.
Looking down at her slumped form, Pindenai barely lifted her head in greeting.
"Hey, Deus."
"......"
"Why come to a dump like this."
Panting heavily, she asked why I'd come.
Why indeed.
"If you're here to help, go back. This is my job."
Her cold push away.
I knew she worried about me getting tangled in republic affairs.
But her words didn't reach me.
Why had I come?
That question spun fiercely in my head alone.
Erika and Deia had pushed me, and seeing Pindenai now, I realized I'd been off while she was gone.
But I had no proper answer for her question.
"I'm here to arrest you."
So that's what slipped out unwittingly. Because even I couldn't define why I sought her.
"Huh?"
Even Pindenai gaped, caught off guard, and subtle sighs came from behind.
But the words were out.
Like an excuse, I fleshed out the bare statement.
"I'm the Griffin Kingdom's sole black mage, the Necromancer chosen by His Majesty."
"......"
"You drugged and sexually harassed me. That's a grave crime."
Then the girls' voices from behind.
"Sexual harassment? She's lost it! Shouldn't have saved her!"
"W-What did you do to Deus! What did you do?!"
As Aria and Elenoa pressed, even Pindenai scratched her head in bewilderment.
"Didn't sleep with him?"
Her vocabulary never changed.
"If you had, you'd be dead! Professor! Can I ask for five minutes as a hero?!"
"Tairn! Execute her! Right now!"
Tairn All Bellocus calmed the two girls rushing over bickering.
Anyway.
I looked down at Pindenai and declared.
"Pindenai, you're under arrest. Come back to Griffin with me."
"......Pfft!"
She burst laughing in disbelief, covering her face with both hands and exhaling deeply.
"My accomplices are inside here."
She gestured vaguely to the building behind her.
"Take them too."
Of course.
"Naturally."
Lowering her hands from her face, her usual hearty smile appeared.
"Before arrest, mind if I smoke? It's a masthead."
I nodded—it didn't matter—and she picked up the tobacco I'd gifted her from the ground and lit it in her mouth? No, put it in her mouth.
Groaning in pain, she rose and poked her head out.
"Light."
"......"
Her brazen demand irked me, but I sparked a flame at my fingertip and lit the end.
"Fuu."
Exhaling thick smoke, Pindenai puffed oddly a few times, then smoked more.
"Hmm."
"Something wrong?"
Scratching her head like it was off, she nodded at my question and tossed the tobacco to the ground.
"Not great."
"......?"
She'd loved the taste before.
As that doubt crossed my mind.
My mouth filled with tobacco smoke and scent. Then a beast-like tongue invaded.
Arms around my neck, Pindenai lunged, ravaging my lips.
Shrieks unfit for humans echoed from Aria and Elenoa behind.
"Puha."
Lips parted, but she hung from my neck, grinning.
"Yeah, this is what I craved most."
Pindenai beamed brighter than ever, right before my eyes.
"But why lemon taste this time?"
"......"