Chapter 41: Revenge Part 2

‘Isn’t it ridiculous to think I can just capture Lily like this?’

“Help! Somebody, please! Blub-blub!”

“The depth of the Flanon River isn’t that much, but it’s enough for someone to drown.”

‘How is she still alive?’

At that moment, Lily, noticing me through the gap in the carriage door, shouted.

“Si-sister? Please save me! Hurry and get me out of here!”

“Even in this situation, she’s still giving orders, huh?”

Like mother, like daughter.

Normally, I’d finish her off right here, but since she’s the second Olivia, I must avenge the first properly.

I’d said I would keep her alive to torment her, but my thoughts have completely changed now.

It would be better to catch Lily and send her mother along with her.

“So, was it you who put me in this situation, sister?”

‘Look at that. She still doesn’t understand the situation and is blaming me.’

“No, it’s the will of the Ashtar family.”

In a way, that’s actually fortunate.

Though drowning is painful, compared to how the previous Olivia died, this is almost too lenient.

“That can’t be true! You planned this, didn’t you? Save me, even now! H-Hold on, what’s this blub-blub!”

I climbed onto the sinking carriage and pressed Lily’s head down as she stuck her face out the window.

“Still giving orders, are we?”

“Blub-blub.”

“It might be fun to finish you off here. You’re destined to drown anyway, so why shouldn’t I make it my handwork?”

‘Even this fool must realize now that she’s facing death.’

‘So, should I just go ahead and crush her to death?’

“Blub-blub!”

‘Why isn’t she dying?’

No, wait. I’ve overlooked something important.

Looking at the carriage sinking for several hours, it was strange that Lily was still alive.

Observing her closely, I sensed something odd.

Yes, something like demonic energy.

It feels like she’s radiating magic.

Even small horns are sprouting from her head.

“Oh, could it be? A succubus transformation? So she’s able to survive the river.”

A normal human would have been dead by now, but if she’s a succubus, that’s a different story.

“What are you talking about? Please save me!”

“Are you aware there’s a horn on your head?”

At my words, Lily touched her head.

Finally realizing there were horns growing there, her face turned pale.

Even a fool like her must know what kind of treatment demons receive in this world.

“W-what’s going on? Is this also your doing?”

‘There’s no hope for her now.’

This is probably something her mother taught her as well.

“You’re always blaming me, but it’s solely because you made a pact with a succubus.”

“A pact with a succubus?”

“Yes. Although I’ve never seen a case like this myself, maybe it’s because you used your abilities extensively without fully meeting the conditions for succubus transformation.”

The first Olivia was strongly indoctrinated.

Moreover, she had been accumulating experience by gradually enticing noblemen.

In that situation, facing death probably triggered her awakening as a succubus.

‘She was truly meant to be born a demon.’

“What are you talking about?”

‘And this foolishness, paired with that body—had she been even slightly attractive, she’d have lured countless men.’

“To put it simply, if only your body was naturally captivating, you might have become a succubus queen. Then again, maybe it’s because your mother is a… well, a woman of the streets.”

“Is insulting my mother all you can do, sister?”

‘But I’m not wrong, am I? Even if she’s about to die, truth and insults don’t need to be separated, right?’

“I usually avoid personal attacks. But when I think of what you’ve done to me, killing you wouldn’t even be enough.”

“What do you mean?”

I raised my right hand, aiming it at Lily.

“Telekinesis used to be known as a supernatural phenomenon, but now we can implement it with magic. Normally, I respect human rights and don’t treat people like objects.”

“Please stop with this nonsense!”

‘Yeah, I didn’t expect her to understand me anyway with that thick skull of hers.’

In simpler terms:

“Demons are treated as objects.”

Using telekinesis, I lifted Lily out of the fully submerged carriage.

Seeing her tiny wings and tail, I realized this was a relief.

If I’d left her alone, even a fool like her would have probably evolved into a full succubus out of survival instinct.

Even with that unappealing body, a succubus transformation could grant her an allure strong enough to charm men.

Her powers would only grow as she wielded them freely.

She had already been handling Nora’s power as if it were her own, and far beyond what was necessary.

“Kyah?! Oh, thank you! Now, please put me down…”

“Who said I’d let you down?”

“What?”

Without further ado, I hurled her to the ground.

Thud!

I held back, ensuring she’d only faint.

There’s a specific place where I intend to execute her.

***

I took Lily and shoved her into the spatial rift, teleporting to Morana, one of the Empire’s border towns.

And there, I saw her.

“Oh my, darling, how about tonight?”

A woman, now in her middle age, clinging to a man young enough to be her nephew, still flaunting her pink hair and oversized assets.

Yes, Lily’s mother.

With the memories inherited from the first Olivia, I knew her all too well.

Now that I think of it, she acted the same way when the first came to visit her.

“You old hag, get lost! How dare you approach me, all wrinkled up?”

In the end, she was rejected.

‘Age truly is a bully.’

Whether it was karma or not, that woman was aging far too quickly.

If she just applied makeup moderately, she could hide it, but her heavy layers only made her look older.

I approached her from behind and whispered carefully.

“Still the same, I see.”

She jumped in shock and turned her head.

“You… Olivia? What happened to your hair?”

‘Typical, coming from Lily’s mother.’

She truly had a knack for provoking people.

But that ends today.

“Been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Wh-why are you here? Did you come because of what happened before?”

Now that I think about it, this was the first time since then.

Originally, knights had been dispatched, but thanks to Noah fixing the first Olivia, who had been cursed with black magic, there was no proof that this woman was involved.

So we left her under surveillance, but before long, Lily’s powers drove the first mad.

“The fact that you bring it up without me even mentioning it tells me you feel guilty.”

Lily’s foolishness must come from her mother as well.

“I thought that whole affair was done with. You’re still alive, aren’t you? Doesn’t that mean it’s all over? Are you here to take revenge for something that happened ages ago?”

“We’ll see, won’t we?”

She really wasn’t in a position to be sneering.

‘Or was she still unaware of what’s been happening in the capital?’

Ah, that must be it.

***

Morana is a rural area, mainly full of adventurers, and news from the capital would take a while to reach here.

“Or maybe, since the Crown Prince broke off your engagement, you’re here to vent your anger on me? But what can you do? I’m set to become the Empress’s mother. Do you really think you can mess with me without facing consequences?”

‘For a woman who sells her body, maybe she’d be better off just giving up at this point.’

Honestly, her situation seemed rather odd.

If her claims were true, she should have given up this line of work by now.

The Ashtar family wouldn’t abandon Lily’s birth mother, after all.

And yet, she continued her work as a courtesan.

So the answer was obvious.

“It’s amusing to see a woman who’s supposed to be the Empress’s mother selling herself to common thugs in the street. Or perhaps it’s just simple lust? If that’s the case, shouldn’t you be paying younger men instead?”

‘Truly, there’s no greater pervert.’

“What… what did you say?”

“Judging by the looks of things, the surveillance on you has gotten pretty lax. You could have escaped if you’d wanted. Perhaps the news didn’t reach you in time.”

She doesn’t know her place, only ever knowing how to get angry.

‘Who does she think she’s glaring at?’

“What are you talking about?”

“In short, I’ve caught you today.”

With that, I knocked Lily’s mother unconscious as well.

Now I just needed to find a suitable place to take care of things.

Ah, come to think of it, there was an abandoned hideout in the northern forest of Morana.

Originally, it was a place used by bandits.

Eugene and I had purged those bandits back in the day.

The memories of that idiot resurfaced vividly.

• “Hey, shady mage.”
• “What is it, brain-dead hero?”
• “So… what if I pretended to be one of the bandits that kidnapped these women?”
• “Excuse me? Are you out of your mind?”

***

He truly was insufferable.

‘Was he really a hero?’ I had to seriously question that at the time.

Anyway, while we had cleared out the bandits back then, the hideout remained.

It was isolated enough, making it perfect for burying someone.

I dragged the clueless courtesan to the spot and bound her with magic.

‘Wouldn’t want her causing trouble by trying to escape.’

“Where… where am I?”

She woke up just in time.

“This is a deserted hideout nearby.”

‘In other words, the place where you’ll meet your end.’

“Binding me up like this… what do you intend to do? Don’t you know this is wrong…”

Smack!

Her words were getting long, so I gave her a hard slap.

Clearly, she still hadn’t come to her senses.

“Do you think I’m joking around here?”

There was something I wanted to know.

It wasn’t just about revenge.

The scroll imbued with the Demon King’s curse was the real issue.

“Cough… cough… what… what are you trying to do?”

“An interrogation.”

‘Revenge will come afterward.’

“An interrogation? After suddenly showing up like this?”

“Five years ago. That day.”

“So you really are here for revenge over that incident…”

Thud!

I landed a punch to her lower abdomen.

“I really can’t stand people who interrupt me.”

“I hate it when someone interrupts me. If you don’t want to get hit, don’t talk back.”

Kicking the trembling courtesan to the side, I dragged over a wooden chair from the corner and sat down.

“Ugh… cough…”

‘A woman like this needs a good beating to understand.’

Not that it matters—she’ll die without even realizing what she’s done wrong.

“So, I’ll ask you. Where did you get the scroll with the Demon King’s curse that you used on me that day?”

“How am I supposed to remember something from five years ago! Ah! My arm, my arm!”

I broke her arm with telekinesis.

Then, I asked again.

“Where did you get the scroll with the Demon King’s curse that you used on me that day?”

“Sorcery… it was a black sorcerer. A black sorcerer was selling scrolls! I told you back then too!”

“A black sorcerer selling scrolls—well, I had an idea who that might be.”

Meeting that person in my current state would be difficult.

“Did you know anything about him beforehand?”

“I… I don’t know. That’s the truth! Someone like me wouldn’t know! I just bought it because he said it was a curse scroll. I swear!”

‘That much is likely true.’

‘Regardless, it’s certain that this person is somehow connected to the Demon King.’