Chapter 196: Sitri (12)
Chapter 196: Sitri (12)
To the demons currently in Nippur, the perception of Sitri had shifted. She was now seen as a pathetic creature who had died a foolish death, driven by her own excessive greed.
Though she was technically missing, it was presumed that her dungeon had been destroyed and she had been vaporized by a rift in the Dimensional Barrier while attempting to travel to Earth.
To the demons who believed there was almost no chance of survival, she was effectively treated as dead.
As the demons vying to lead Asmodeus’s forces bit and tore at one another, slandering Sitri became a common tactic. They feared that if they couldn't erase her shadow, they would never be able to properly command their subordinates.
Every one of them knew Sitri had been a demon of immense power—one they wouldn't have dared to challenge before her disappearance. Because of that, there was a tacit agreement among them to tarnish her reputation and belittle her legacy.
While Asmodeus’s demons were busy slandering Sitri and forming and dissolving alliances to seize power for themselves…
Sitri was in Grace’s Sanctuary, training to channel the Divine Power of Tiamat.
She was wearing the same equipment she always had. Although Sitri had crafted it herself, she had made it using pure, versatile mana rather than dark mana, so it was perfectly fine for her to continue using it.
Grace felt a strange sensation as she brought Sitri to her Sanctuary.
She never imagined a day would come when the purple-haired demon Sitri would stand in her Sanctuary wearing the same outfit she’d worn on the battlefields of Nippur. Even looking Sitri in the eye now, Grace still hadn't quite gotten used to it.
Of course, since deciding to accept Sitri and living with her, Grace could feel that she was no longer the cold, ruthless killing machine she once was.
Sitri truly wanted to be with Han Shin. To that end, she had humbled herself as much as possible, taking the lowest position within Han Shin’s household.
She had even said that after a brief period of adjustment with Kang Yujin’s help, she would take over all the housework.
At first, the others tried to dissuade her, thinking she was only doing it because she felt pressured by them. Kang Yujin, Grace, and Laysia hadn't expected or required such a thing.
However, Sitri had pleaded earnestly. They eventually reached a compromise: Sitri wouldn't handle everything alone but would take on a significant portion of the chores, with Grace, Laysia, and Kang Yujin helping out whenever they could.
Seeing her work hard at the chores in a simple maid’s outfit and treat them with the utmost courtesy, their wariness and discomfort gradually began to melt away.
That was why Grace had stepped forward to help when Sitri mentioned she wanted to train, bringing her here to the Sanctuary.
Sitri’s outward appearance remained the same, but her internal state had been completely transformed.
Since it was her first time handling the Divine Power of Tiamat, she was unfamiliar with it; it was essentially like starting from scratch.
Grace sat cross-legged in front of Sitri, holding her hands, and began to observe Sitri’s internal flow.
‘It’s truly amazing. I can’t believe she was once a demon possessed of dark mana.’
Feeling the Divine Power of Tiamat brimming within Sitri only reinforced this thought for Grace.
Allowing someone to observe the inside of one's body required a great deal of courage and absolute trust that the other person was not a threat. Grace was more than willing to help Sitri, appreciating the trust the former demon placed in her.
Besides, Sitri’s primary goal was to protect Han Shin, so Grace found it impossible to just leave her be.
“Urgh…”
However, Sitri was struggling to manipulate the Divine Power.
It was a fundamentally different force from the dark mana she was used to. Trying to handle Tiamat’s Divine Power with the same sensations was, naturally, impossible and difficult.
Ironically, Sitri’s past experience acted more as an obstacle than a help.
To use a somewhat loose analogy, it was like putting water into a car engine that was designed to run on gasoline.
Because of this, Sitri was currently drenched in sweat.
Even though she was sitting perfectly still, she looked exhausted because of the sheer difficulty of trying to control the Divine Power within her. Consuming so much mental energy through prolonged concentration caused her physical body to react in kind.
Grace and Sitri weren't the only ones in the Sanctuary.
“Are you okay? Why don’t you take a break?”
Han Shin had also come along to loosen up and train, feeling he had neglected his practice lately due to his lewd daily life with the three women.
Laysia and Kang Yujin had gone out to buy supplies. They had bought some things when Sitri first arrived, but after living together for a bit, they realized they were still missing several items.
If it had been the Han Shin of a while ago, Laysia would have stayed behind to teach him while Kang Yujin went alone…
But Han Shin had reached a point where he no longer needed to learn the basics from Grace or Laysia. Unless they were engaging in a life-or-death sparring match, there wasn't much left for them to teach him.
For this reason, Han Shin hadn't asked Laysia to stay, and Laysia felt it was better to accompany Kang Yujin on the shopping trip.
And right now, looking after Sitri was the top priority.
Ultimately, Han Shin’s group would have to fight the demons, and Sitri knew better than anyone that the demons in Nippur were eyeing Earth.
She expected things to be quiet for a while because of the chaos her disappearance had caused, but she also knew that peace wouldn't last long.
She couldn't afford to be complacent.
Having already spent a fair amount of time adjusting to Han Shin’s home, Sitri felt she didn't have the luxury of stopping.
“Thank you for your concern. But I’m still alright. I’ll try a little more.”
Responding immediately to Han Shin’s voice, Sitri opened her eyes and turned her head toward him, offering a smile to reassure him.
A few strands of purple hair were stuck to her sweat-drenched face—clinging to her forehead and cheeks. She looked quite fatigued, but seeing her force a smile and insist she was fine made Han Shin worry that she was overdoing it.
He tried to speak up again, but Sitri declined more firmly this time.
“Han Shin-nim, I truly appreciate your worry. But could you let me try just a bit longer? I was a demon who handled dark mana, so I already expected that mastering the polar opposite—Divine Power—would be no easy task.”
“Mmm…”
Han Shin had no rebuttal for that.
As she said, Sitri was a being who had once wielded a power completely antithetical to her current one. It was only through a series of coincidences and miraculous events that a demon like her had become a follower of Tiamat.
To expect her to use Tiamat’s Divine Power with ease right away would be naive.
“Sitri is right. I understand. But… if it gets too hard, rest immediately. Pushing yourself too far can backfire.”
“Yes!”
Seeing Han Shin’s genuine concern for her, Sitri replied with a truly radiant smile.
Knowing that Han Shin cared for her gave Sitri a surge of energy and motivation.
Watching this, Grace felt…
‘I’m jealous…’
Naturally, she envied Sitri for receiving Han Shin’s concern and encouragement.
However, looking at Sitri now, Grace felt the attention was well-deserved and didn't feel any ugly resentment. If anything, she wanted to help Sitri master the Divine Power as quickly as possible.
‘That way, she won’t monopolize Han Shin-nim’s worry…’
While the main reason was that Sitri’s role as a combatant would be a huge help in protecting Han Shin, Grace had one more motive.
The solution to reducing the amount of worry and attention Sitri received from Han Shin was to make her stronger.
Grace knew it was a slightly petty thought, but it was one of the reasons she wanted to make Sitri powerful as soon as possible.
“Then, shall we try a method that involves light physical movement to stimulate the flow?”
Since progress had been sluggish so far, Sitri nodded immediately.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Various training weapons were displayed on the walls of Grace’s Sanctuary.
Sitri began using the same ones Han Shin had used in his early days.
Rather than a serious duel, their goal was to move their bodies and naturally circulate the Divine Power. The two of them began to lightly exchange blows, their weapons clashing in a rhythmic harmony.