343. The Master of the Night
343. The Master of the Night
- 1 -
Wepar gazed at the form of Gertrude, whose contract had been transferred to the master.
A high-rank monster.
Its power could be felt in its entirety.
'Even though it's dropped one tier from Lord-level, this level of power...'
There was no room for complaint.
Because this entity possessed a level of strength that was on an entirely different plane from ordinary undead.
Gulp —
Something suddenly bulged and sank back down across the cephalopod's hide, which had already been lumpy and prone to convulsions even when it was alive.
A grotesque and bizarre sight that would make anyone who happened to see it recoil in horror and retreat.
"...Heh."
Yet a smile rose to Wepar's lips.
It was common knowledge that an Eldritch, still unaccustomed to replacing its body with mana, would maintain this kind of 'even more grotesque' appearance for a while.
Eldritch.
Not as a Dungeon Lord, but as one of the higher species of Lich among ordinary summons or monsters.
An undead that was never easy either to summon or to stabilize after summoning.
An ordinary Lich took the form of a skeletally thin zombie mage or a mana-infused skeleton mage, but an Eldritch was outwardly not so different from an ordinary living creature.
And the secret to that lay in the dense mana that filled it in place of flesh.
The mana filling its exterior shell would, over time, solidify far more resiliently and elastically than ordinary flesh or muscle.
As a result.
If another higher species, the Arch Lich, possessed overwhelmingly potent magical power, the Eldritch — while somewhat inferior in magical power — had the aspect of also becoming physically mighty.
To bestow such an entity upon a subordinate without hesitation was nothing less than proof of the lord's dignity and of her trust in her retainer.
"Shue, Saya. Come here."
"Yes."
Wepar looked in the direction where Libertas was.
Her new liege, who had been in some kind of conversation with her two close aides, met Wepar's eyes and nodded with her ever-gentle smile.
As she bowed her head in return, Wepar recalled once more the sight Libertas had shown in battle.
That eerie yet mighty magic that summoned three colossal spears, possessed of indescribable power.
The image of how she had executed Gertrude in a single blow with that magic.
'That power...'
Wepar had once served Dantalion.
He was a demon who sought the power of the Outer Planes and incorporated it into himself — a unique power.
Wepar herself had also, albeit in small measure, accepted a part of that power, and so she knew well what it was.
The power felt in Libertas's magic at that moment was unmistakably...
'Of the Outer Planes. And moreover...'
A power of far more exalted essence than what Dantalion or Botis had ever wielded.
At the very least, it was not a power that an ordinary duke of the Demon Realm could swing around.
Wepar felt curiosity stir, but she decided to suppress it appropriately.
'Useless curiosity is no good.'
She was someone who had experienced all manner of things under Dantalion.
'Curiosity killed the cat.'
She had seen that proverb play out in reality, time and time again.
Far too many times.
Besides, if Libertas had been as suspicious as her former master, that would be one thing — but Libertas was a trustworthy lord who openly displayed her care for her subordinates.
And so, for now, she would simply...
'Trust.'
She had only to follow.
- 2 -
To which of the two would the Lord-grade core be granted?
'Saya is clever.'
Outwardly courteous and polite, she still carried the grace of a young lady — but due to what had happened in the past, she was in truth somewhat timid and prone to suspicion.
Yet once battle broke out...
She would transform into a reckless swordswoman who exploited the enemy's openings with overwhelming speed and precision to seize their weak points.
And at the same time, an assassin of the battlefield suited to meticulous control and tactical movements.
'Shue is overbearing.'
Usually languid and relaxed...
But a woman who, at the mere scent of battle, never hesitated to step to the front.
She would clash head-on and pour out destructive force.
The stronger the enemy she killed, the more her energy accumulated, the mightier her power became.
My vanguard who pulverized foes with sheer physical force.
'And these ones...'
The identity of the new threat — the 'Slumbering Ones' — was uncertain.
However, recalling Gertrude's overwhelming size and power, what was urgently needed right now was someone who would stubbornly hold the line no matter how the tides of battle shifted at the front.
It was a role Esther or Evangeline could also fulfill, but the one present here and now was Shue.
'The core's attributes also seem like they'd match better with hers.'
Gertrude's power was not simple mana, but a turbid force mingled with grudges and killing intent.
Since a great deal of it had been used to raise the Eldritch, only the considerably 'purified' portion now remained.
Even so, her power held great potential to resonate with Shue's Blood Demon nature and her Heaven-Slaughtering Star trait.
In the end, there was only one conclusion.
"Shue. When we return, prepare to undergo the ritual."
A Lord-grade ability was not something obtained simply by fulfilling the conditions and performing the ritual in normal fashion.
Even back when this was a game, it had required a certain process — one written as 'special' but read as 'a pain in the ass.'
On this matter, they themselves would know better than I did.
Since they would have already gone through it once.
"Yes, Master..."
Nodding, Shue briefly met Saya's eyes, then bowed her head and withdrew.
I could guess what unspoken exchange had passed between them, but I pretended not to notice and waited for Shue to depart.
"Saya."
"Yes, Master."
I studied Saya's face as she answered me.
Saya's expression was set.
Outwardly she faced me with a composed, courteous face as if nothing was the matter — but deep within her pink eyes, I could see a faintly sunken disappointment.
She was skillfully concealing her heart, but she could not evade my eyes.
But that was only for a moment.
"Wash up and come to my cabin."
At my next words, the regret that had seeped into her face ebbed away like the tide.
- 3 -
The night had deepened.
Sarak.
Saya carefully dried herself and adjusted her attire.
The disappointment that had briefly flickered through her at the fact that the core had gone to Shue first had already vanished without a trace long ago.
No — perhaps it had not been disappointment so much as regret toward herself, a self-reproach for not having been a greater strength to Libertas.
But her master's next words had melted all those feelings away as if they were snow.
'Wash up and come to my cabin.'
That voice had carried neither rebuke nor consolation.
It was simply the same as always — and yet, to her, a summons that could only carry deep meaning.
Her master's summons. And what was more, time to be spent alone, just the two of them, in her cabin.
'Master...'
A warmth bloomed in the corner of her chest, and her stomach and heart grew tight even as her spirits lifted.
Saya, as ever, found her own state both astonishing and pleasant.
Whenever it came time to be with her master, the centuries of accumulated powerlessness and the etiquette she had always kept straight lost all meaning.
She would become wholly absorbed in simply revering her master's nobility and accepting her grace with all her heart and soul.
"Hoo..."
Standing before the cabin door, Saya took a light, steadying breath.
When she knocked, a low voice answered from within.
- Come in.
Cautiously opening the door and stepping inside, she was met with the subtle scent of scented oil and the sight of Libertas perusing a book beneath the lamp.
Unlike the dignified image she always maintained outside, this was the relaxed appearance she had been frequently showing her most trusted aides these days.
Eyes as deep and serene as the night sea turned toward Saya.
"You've come."
"I have answered your summons, Master."
Saya bowed her head in due courtesy.
Libertas gestured gently. A signal to come closer.
Sarak —
As Saya approached, Libertas took her hand with a tender smile.
Thump.
Saya's heart gave a great leap, and her shoulders briefly stiffened before relaxing again.
The contact had been expected, but even so, she could not hide her nervousness.
"You truly worked so hard today. You were magnificent. Saya."
The low voice sweetly tickled her ear.
Saya could not raise her head.
She was already humbled that her lord acknowledged her meager contribution, yet at the same time, a measure of apologetic feeling lingered — for that irreverent moment when she had thought all the credit seemed to go to Shue.
"You praise me too highly. Compared to the others, I am merely ordinary..."
"They are they, and you are you."
Libertas gently cut off Saya's words, and tightened her grip on her hand just a little.
"Shue told me as well. That without the opening you created, the final blow could not have executed Gertrude. It was your sword that made it possible to seal the Great Mother's movements. Do not underestimate yourself."
She felt her master's warm gaze.
Only then did Saya slowly lift her head.
In Libertas's violet eyes there was no reproach, no pity. There was only deep trust and tender warmth.
A gaze that seemed to see through to the very depths of her heart, and yet also to embrace everything.
"Master..."
"I am not unaware of the regret in your heart."
Libertas gently caressed Saya's cheek.
At that touch, Saya felt all her pretenses crumbling away.
Centuries of etiquette were utterly useless.
"But as you well know, in all things there is an order that suits them. And you are always a help to me. There is no need to be impatient."
Her master's touch was gentle, and her voice was sweet.
Before she knew it, Saya had leaned toward Libertas.
The scent of her body, carrying the fragrance of flowers, and the faint aroma of scented oil brushed the tip of her nose, calming her heart.
Feeling her master's arm wrap around her waist, she trembled ever so faintly.
The despondency she had felt above deck already seemed a thing of the distant past.
"I want... to become a greater strength to you, Master. A strength greater even than the prime I lost."
As she confessed her honest feelings, a low laugh sounded from above her head.
She felt Libertas's touch upon her hair.
"I know. Your heart alone is more than enough to make me happy."
The soft sensation of lips that had touched her crown was now brushing past her ear before she knew it.
Libertas's breath felt closer than ever.
In that moment, Saya felt the blood in her entire body surge hotly.
She thought she saw, deep within her liege's eyes, something different from usual — an intense possessiveness, a longing directed at her, flickering like flame.
An exchange of emotion that could not be put into words, and yet was so unmistakably clear.
"No one will be able to hear our voices."
The voice that burrowed into her ear — no, into her head — was burning hot.
And the hand that slipped past her side and seeped into her stomach with a guiding force was cool yet gentle.
A force she could not resist — no, one she did not want to resist.
In the next moment, Saya found herself straddling her master before she knew it.
There had been no time to consider how this posture had come to be. She had simply yielded her body as it was led.
The pink eyes and violet eyes that met now both held a crimson hue.
Vivid affection, and something beyond it.
"Come."
At that single word, Saya let go of the last thread of reason.
So that everything might flow according to her liege's will, she surrendered herself entirely.
That night grew very, very long.