Chapter 151: The Lich
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 151: The Lich
“Are they both the same to you?”
Crunch.
The earth and sand began to tighten around Christina's arm.
-Mmph! Mmph!
Christina's screams to stop were muffled by Isabelle's hand.
Just as her arm was about to break.
“That's enough.”
At the sound of a man's voice from somewhere nearby, the crushing earth and sand halted. Isabelle turned her gaze toward the source of the voice. As she expected, Cloud was standing there.
“Enough? What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. Let her go. And reattach her tongue.”
“And why should I do that?”
“Mars would just love to find out you left her in this state, wouldn't he?”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Yeah, I am. So let her go and fix her tongue. Right now. Unless you want to see the look of contempt on Mars's face.”
“...Tsk.”
Isabelle clicked her tongue, clearly displeased.
But she released Christina. She disliked both Cloud and Christina, but she didn't want Mars to hate her.
She tossed the severed tongue and a potion to Christina, who had collapsed to the ground.
Having retrieved her tongue, Christina frantically pressed it against the stump and began pouring the potion over it.
“You think that's going to reattach it?”
Cloud, who had approached Christina without her noticing, crouched down beside her.
“There's a Saint Candidate named Ophelia in the room next to mine. Go ask her to heal you. Then, apologize to Mars tomorrow morning and leave this place. And don't ever come back. If I see you one more time, I'll be the one to cut off your wrist. Got it?”
Christina nodded and scrambled away. Watching her retreating back, Cloud let out a dry laugh.
“I thought she'd at least argue a little, but I guess not.”
Just what was she thinking, coming here?
Cloud shook his head and stood up. His gaze now turned to Isabelle.
“Who did you make a contract with?”
“What?”
“Don't play dumb. The magic power you have right now isn't entirely your own.”
As Cloud recalled, the Isabelle from the game Knight of Adultery wasn't particularly strong.
In fact, she was weaker than the people around her, which triggered many in-game events.
But the woman before him now was radiating immense magic power.
And that power felt alien, clashing with the nature around it.
It made no sense for the magic of an elementalist like her to be at odds with nature. Therefore, it was more plausible that she was borrowing power through a contract rather than having grown stronger on her own.
“What kind of nonsense is this? My magic power isn't mine? And what's this about a contract?”
“So you're going to play dumb?”
Then there's nothing I can do.
It wasn't that there was no way to find out who she'd contracted with. I could just trace the flow of her magic power backward.
However, Isabelle would feel immense pain in the process, and then she'd run tattling to Mars like Nobita runs to Doraemon.
I'd suddenly be cast as Gian, the bully.
'I'll have to get Mars to dig into it.'
She wouldn't ignore Mars, would she?
“Anyway, I'll be watching you from now on. Behave yourself.”
Isabelle raised her middle finger.
“You disrespectful bitch.”
Where did she learn that?
Cloud turned his back and walked off in the direction Christina had fled.
Once he was gone, Isabelle muttered.
“So? Does he seem to have what you want?”
To an outsider, it would have looked like she was talking to herself, but she wasn't. Someone answered her.
-Yes. He definitely has it.
A woman's voice echoed in Isabelle's mind.
-A branch of the World Tree... With that, I can achieve my ambition.
The alluring voice, dripping with sensuality, was filled with greed.
“I don't care about your ambition. Just keep your promise.”
-Don't worry. Once you bring me the branch of the World Tree, I'll connect you with the man named Mars, just as I promised. I'll make sure you two live happily ever after.
“That wasn't the entire promise, was it?”
-Hm? Ahh~ You mean Cloud. That goes without saying, doesn't it? Defeating the Hero is my job, after all. Oh, but it's okay if I play with him a little before I kill him, right?
The Succubus Queen let out a sensual laugh.
*
Several months had passed since the all-out war with the orcs.
The devastated city of Avila was still steeped in sorrow.
It was inevitable, as half of its citizens had been slaughtered.
It meant that every single survivor was grieving a loss.
Some overcame their pain and stood back up, but others could not.
Duke Pabir belonged to the latter group.
Having lost his beloved wife and son, he was consumed by hatred and vengeance, wasting away day by day.
With the duke, who should have been leading the city's restoration, in such a state, the city's future was bleak.
“Cloud?”
Katarina's voice pulled me from my thoughts.
“What is it?”
“I was just wondering what you were thinking about so hard.”
“It's nothing. More importantly, how's the carriage? Is it uncomfortable?”
We were currently on our way from Avila to the Empire. There was still some time before the Imperial social event, but we had decided to leave early.
Resting in the Imperial Capital was far better than in a provincial city drowning in grief.
“No, it's not uncomfortable at all. I feel like I could even fall asleep right now if I wanted to.”
“That's a relief.”
I gave her a smile and then looked around at the other party members in the carriage.
“...”
“...”
Eri, glaring at Leslie as if she wanted to kill him, and Leslie, diligently ignoring her gaze.
“...I offer my prayers to you, Almighty Iries.”
“...”
Marietta, who was praying, and Ophelia, who was warily watching her while also closing her eyes in prayer, though without reciting any scripture.
“Mars, say ahhh~.”
“Isabelle, I can just eat it myself...”
“Ahhh~.”
“Isabelle..?”
“Ahhh~.”
“...”
Isabelle, one-sidedly showering Mars with affection, and Mars, who was clearly burdened by it.
And Neria, watching them with envious eyes.
Suddenly, Neria turned her head and looked at me.
I quickly averted my gaze.
As I did, my eyes met Shedia's. Her eyes widened as if she'd just remembered something, and she held out her hand to me.
“What?”
“The moonstone. I still haven't been paid for my last job!”
“...”
This is driving me crazy.
*
“Yes, Sir Hero. You're confirmed.”
The soldiers guarding the front of the Imperial Palace opened the drawbridge gate that had blocked our carriage. The carriage proceeded a short way into the palace grounds before stopping, and we all disembarked.
“So this is the Imperial Palace...”
Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, Mars let out a stream of amazed remarks. Isabelle clung to his arm, linking hers with his.
“It's a wonderful place, isn't it? Let's have our wedding in a place like this.”
“Uh, uh-huh..?”
Mars looked troubled and tried to pull his arm away, but Isabelle held on tight and wouldn't let go.
Watching them, I recalled a conversation I'd had with Mars not long after Isabelle arrived.
-I'm not sure.
-About what?
-Whether I still like Isabelle or not. And even if I do, if it's as much as I used to. I just don't know my own heart.
-Is she being a burden? Want me to kick her out?
-There's no need for that...
Was it because of the various experiences he'd had on our journey? Or was it because of his bad experience with Pink-Haired Slut #2? Mars was no longer certain of his feelings for Isabelle.
'If I had my way, I'd set him up on a blind date just to spite her.'
But I couldn't bring myself to do it, afraid that crazy bitch would chop off some noble lady's wrist. If that happened, it wouldn't just be Isabelle in trouble; Mars would be fucked, too.
I grabbed our luggage from the carriage.
“You can look around all you want after we've unpacked in our rooms. For now, let's head inside... Huh?”
As we were about to enter the palace, I saw the Old Butler rushing toward us from a distance.
No, he wasn't running. He was just walking incredibly fast.
“...Is that even possible?”
“I guess it becomes possible after you survive in the Imperial Palace for forty years. More importantly, why is he in such a hurry?”
It seemed a bit much just to greet us.
'Did something happen?' My thought hit the mark exactly.
The Old Butler led us to a room.
Inside the room, which was furnished like a strategy briefing room, a middle-aged man in platinum armor sat at a table.
Introducing himself as the Platinum Knight Commander, he wasted no time in telling us why we had been summoned.
“An undead army is advancing from the north. We've received reports that they are attacking the Policia Duchy. Hero Frillite and the Platinum Knights have already departed to engage them.”
An undead army? That's something liches use. Why is that showing up all of a sudden?
While I was puzzled, Leslie's expression had turned grave.
“What did you just say? Where are they attacking?”