Chapter 43: Revenge Part 4 (1/2)

“Li…Lily, why are you looking at me like that? I did it all for you!”

“Shut up! This is all because of you! If you hadn’t given birth to me like this! I’ll make you just like me!”

Turning her own mother into a succubus?

As far as revenge goes, she’s really taking it far.

“Olivia! You! This is too much!”

She’s blaming me because she couldn’t raise her daughter right.

“I thought long and hard about it, and this is indeed the best revenge. Even though you tried to kill me for your daughter’s sake, now you’re about to be killed by that very daughter.”

What is the saddest thing for a parent?

It’s having to say goodbye to their child first.

But I decided to put a twist on that usual narrative.

“How can you be so cruel!”

“At first, I was planning to tear Lily apart in front of you. But since I am the young lady of Ashtar, I’m showing some restraint. A young lady of Ashtar can’t resort to such barbarity.”

“So, I’m going to handle this more gentlemanly and execute you both.”

“What?”

“I’ve cast a spell on this room. By tomorrow morning, this building will be buried underground.”

By tomorrow, only the roof will be visible.

“W-wait. You’re just going to trap us here?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

‘Did she expect me to show mercy?’

“If the Duke finds out about this, what do you think he’ll do?”

“I don’t care. You won’t live long enough to tell him.”

“I-I don’t want to die! Please stop!”

Lily’s mother seemed more attached to life than I had thought.

Surely, she didn’t want to die at the hands of her daughter, now a succubus.

Maybe she even wanted to restore her daughter to normal.

“I’m not entirely heartless. I’ll let one of you live.”

“If that’s the case…”

Lily’s mother glanced briefly at Lily with a look of hesitation.

Perhaps she thought Lily might make it out and find a way to revive herself.

I held up a single finger, giving them a sinister smile.

“But one of you has to kill the other.”

“What?”

“There’s no way you two can beat me, so I’m giving you a chance.”

Yes, that’s it. I want them to kill each other.

If they were merely comrades, this would test their loyalty or friendship.

But they’re mother and daughter.

“How can you do this to us? This is too much! Just kill me instead! Since Lily has become a succubus, it’s better if I die!”

“Stop the act.”

Did she think I wouldn’t see through her? She’s a woman with a strong attachment to life.

She won’t kill her daughter, but she’s hoping to appeal to my mercy to survive.

“Olivia! Please, I beg you, don’t do this!”

“Olivia… please, sister, spare us!”

Finally understanding the situation, the two women clung to my legs, begging.

An idea crossed my mind.

I tilted my head, looking down at them as if I couldn’t understand.

“Isn’t something strange here?”

“What?”

“Why have you been calling me Olivia? I’m not Olivia.”

“W-what?”

Technically, I am Olivia, but the person they see before their deaths should be someone else entirely.

“Lily, you should know who I am, right? Did you forget already? What a birdbrain.”

“Th-then, who are you?”

“When Noah killed me, I thought I was really dead.”

It should be common knowledge that the Demon King was killed by Noah.

“Huh?”

“But then you let Olivia become my vessel.”

“N-no way…”

“Yes, I am the Demon King. Killing you has nothing to do with revenge for Olivia.”

There’s no reason to reveal myself as Olivia here.

“Then…why?”

“D-demon king… If I swear my loyalty to you, please spare me!”

Lily really knows how to switch sides quickly.

“I’m killing you because I don’t know when you loose-lipped people will go around blabbing about me. Think about it. I haven’t fully regained my power yet. I need to build my strength using Ashtar as a base. I can’t let insignificant humans like you disrupt my plans. Isn’t that right?”

“T-that…”

“Could it be that I…actually resurrected the Demon King…”

Wow, they believe it? Idiots.

The fact that the first Demon King was killed by these two must have been a real disgrace.

“I’ll take in the woman who survives.”

With those words, I tossed a sword to them and left the room.

Now, let’s see who survives.

When faced with the instinct of death, a human’s true nature will reveal itself.

Up until now, she’s thought about her daughter’s well-being in her position as a mother, using her intelligence. ‘But will she keep it up until the end?’

No, I doubt it.

I have a knack for reading people.

That woman may wish for her daughter to live differently than she did, but she’s also used her daughter to try to climb the ranks.

That’s why she didn’t stop Lily from taking the easy path of becoming a succubus.

Now, I’m curious to see if that harlot will lift a blade against her daughter.

Thud! Thud!

At first, they tried pounding on the door, desperate to escape, but it was futile.

With my magic binding the room tightly, how could they escape?

Meanwhile, the building was sinking slowly into the ground.

In the end, they’ll make their decision one way or another.

Will the harlot sacrifice herself, or will her survival instinct lead her to kill her own daughter?

They don’t seem like the type to die together.

Sounds are coming from inside.

‘Are they screams? Or groans from the absurdity of their situation?’

Bang!

Then, the pounding on the door resumed.

I sat back, idly examining my nails while listening to the sound.

My nails were a bit chipped from slapping Lily’s mother earlier.

Though my strength is still there, my body is somewhat weakened by the sudden mana fusion, leaving a few weak points.

Claire did say that I, as Noah, should maintain proper nail care.

Though I don’t care personally, it seems a priestess of Ashtar should keep up appearances.

She even warned there might be sudden inspections from the lady of the house.

“Annoying.”

With nothing better to do, I might as well tidy up while the mother and daughter kill each other.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

After a while, the knocking stopped.

If anyone was here to take bets, I’d put mine on Lily.

The likelihood of her killing her mother is quite high.

I do think there’s a slight chance her mother might do the same, though.

Rumble

The building continues to sink deeper into the earth.

“They’re holding out better than I expected.”

My mother died long ago, so I don’t remember any maternal affection.

The woman I call mother now, Katarina, is the leader of an assassin guild, so expecting anything from her is pointless.

‘Could it be that mother and daughter will die together?’

If so, I might feel a sliver of sentimentality.

Perhaps I’d even erect a gravestone for them.

Maybe I should eavesdrop a little?

After all, that fortress is in the palm of my hand.

Listening through mana won’t be hard.

I focused on the sounds coming from inside.

Enough time had passed; they should be arguing by now.

“Mom. Just… just let yourself die.”

“Are you insane? N-no, get away from me!”

“You said you’d do anything for me!”

“You’re a monster now!”

“Are you seriously drawing a blade on your own daughter?”

“I’ve sacrificed so much for you! Can’t you let me live for once?”

Lily’s mother’s true nature has finally come out.

‘It seems that as death approaches, she’s scrambling to save her own life first.’

From within, they finally began an intense confrontation that swelled with emotions.

One of them would likely die.

“Who would be the victor?”

“One of them has to die to break down the door and escape, I suppose.”

Once one of them dies, the barrier will dissipate, and they’ll even be able to escape through the hole in the ceiling.

And the door itself is designed to open easily.

“Now then…”

I turned my head toward a tree to the left of the fortress.

Unlike a regular tree, this one was dead.