“Did you see something you shouldn’t have?”
Shivers
Even if they didn’t mean to, the chilling atmosphere of the room was enough to intimidate the three people present.
“Uh, Elise?”
“Perfect timing. I needed you.”
When Adriana hurriedly asked, the corners of Elise’s mouth subtly lifted. That deadly smile sent chills down their spines.
“Wh-what do you need…?”
Tap tap.
Elise walked past Sen and the Goddess of Time, approaching Adriana. She reached out and caressed Adriana’s cheek.
“I thought as a witch, you might know a thing or two about alchemy or anatomy!”
The atmosphere changed in an instant. Despite the vibe hinting they wouldn’t survive this, Elise spoke so casually. Sen quickly caught on that it was just Elise’s joke.
“You’re intentionally creating this atmosphere, aren’t you?”
Crossing her arms in dissatisfaction and puffing her cheeks slightly, Elise smiled and turned to hug Sen.
“It’s been so long since you came to visit! I was feeling a bit mischievous!”
Sen pushed Elise away as she tried to rub her cheek against hers. Adriana let out a sigh of relief, glancing down at the magic circle drawn on the floor.
“Hey, Elise. About that magic circle…”
“Oh, right! Since it’s Adriana, you probably know exactly what it is, right?”
“It’s summoning magic, right? I have a rough idea of who you’re trying to summon.”
“Of course, it’s my master! Since three years ago, I’ve been asking countless mages, scholars, and alchemists about a way to resurrect the dead!”
“…”
“Sure, I’ve failed several times, but I never gave up! I’ll devote my life to bringing back my master.”
Elise’s declaration was resolute. If word got out that the princess was creating such a sinister room in her mansion with the intent to resurrect the dead, it would severely damage her image.
It was clear people would either point fingers and call her a dark sorceress or gossip that she’d fallen into some bizarre cult.
Yet, Elise boldly dismissed such risks, claiming everything was fine.
“So, can you take a look, Adriana? I heard there’s a great witch who has lived for an incredibly long time. Maybe if we twist the spells a bit, it could work?”
Adriana rested her chin on her hand, tracing the magic circle with the tip of her staff. For a moment, the room fell into silence, as if they were taking an exam.
But Adriana shook her head with a pained expression.
“I don’t think it’ll work. It’s a unique summoning spell, but it’s not enough to bring the dead back to life. The most important thing is the medium. There’s no medium to inscribe to summon Daniel in this circle.”
“…”
“Moreover, living a long life and resurrecting the dead are two entirely different things.”
It was a brutal assessment.
The efforts of three years were washed away in an instant, but Elise answered with an unwavering smile.
“Sure! I took all of Master’s belongings from the dormitory to use, but just having residual fingerprints and scent isn’t enough.”
At that moment, just as Adriana began to feel pity for Elise, a realization struck.
“Wait, you were the one who took my brother’s stuff from the dormitory?”
Sen turned her head sharply and glared at Elise. Blushing and trembling, Elise responded while looking embarrassed.
“It was great. The strong scent of my master. I don’t even know how many times I used it.”
“Give it back! Don’t use my brother’s things like that!”
Recognizing that the heirlooms she had been looking for had been used as mere umami by a princess, Sen was ready to charge at Elise, but Elise tilted her head with a troubled expression.
“What can I do? Now there’s only my scent left.”
Words failed her.
She had known Elise’s affection for Daniel was a bit excessive and expressed differently than other girls, but this twisted? That was a shocker.
Feeling as if she had stared into an abyss, Sen took a step back.
It’s dirty, so I’m avoiding it. Not because I’m scared.
“So who is this girl? She’s cute!”
“She’s the Goddess of Time.”
While Sen answered Elise’s question casually, the response she received was anything but casual.
The royal ring she wore activated. Numerous spells spiraled around Elise’s entire being, granting her an overwhelming power comparable to ancient magical beasts.
Boom!
Elise lunged at the goddess, aiming to grab her by the neck like a wolf’s fangs. A circular protective spell shimmering with darkness blocked them.
If Adriana hadn’t hastily cast a spell in between, the goddess would’ve lost her head immediately.
“Yikes!”
The Goddess of Time stumbled back in surprise.
To an unknowing observer, her reaction might have seemed adorable, but Elise looked colder than ever, glaring down at the goddess.
“Are you out of your mind? Do you even know where you are?”
“Uh, Elise! Wait a second!”
“Is Adriana on the other side? Hmm, do you think you can handle it?”
Although it was fortunate Elise didn’t have a weapon, her aura was terrifying. Adriana, the witch, couldn’t even fight Elise in close combat.
If Sen was around it might be different, but the white-haired assassin was watching, claiming it looked interesting and maintaining a distance.
With some baggage against the goddess, she didn’t seem inclined to join in.
“I can promise you this: even if you run away from here, I will find you in the end. Every knight in the kingdom will hunt you down like a pack of hounds, tearing you to bits alive and feeding you to pigs.”
Elise’s words sounded crude coming from a princess, but they conveyed how sincere she was.
“Step aside, Adriana. Don’t make me kill you too.”
“Wait! This goddess has the answer you wanted!”
“…Can you explain?”
Though she asked, the fierce killing intent remained as Elise’s maid, Bertia, burst through the door, sword drawn.
Phew, that’s chilling.
She almost forgot this was the royal palace.
It was literally a place where Princess Elise could say anything she wished, so if she couldn’t persuade Elise here, it was unlikely the goddess would survive.
Finally, Adriana started calmly explaining the current situation.
Daniel McLean was captured by the Goddess of Death and suffering, and the only way to save him was resurrection.
She explained that the elf Eris had a way to make it happen, and the goddess had come to share it.
As she wrapped up her explanation, Adriana wiped the cold sweat off her brow with her sleeve. Even a little relaxation could make Elise and Bertia pounce on her in an instant.
After hearing the full explanation, Elise slowly lowered her hand and adjusted her outfit again.
She thought it was good news, but…
Elise’s icy gaze remained fixed on the goddess.
“It’s great to hear there’s a way to bring my master back to life. Since the goddess herself brought it, there must be a chance.”
“Right? So…”
“But didn’t you say the Guardian Eris has my master’s medium? So what’s the reason you’re here, Goddess?”
“Uh…”
She averted her gaze slightly.
Since the goddess offered information, Sen and Adriana were here, but she didn’t think they’d be useful.
“Alright, now that you’ve told us how to resurrect my master…”
Elise snapped her fingers.
“Just chop off both arms. Bertia.”
“Yes, Princess.”
Boom!
Bertia’s sword lunged straight ahead.
If Adriana hadn’t prepared the protective spell while talking, the goddess’s arms would have already been on the floor.
“Aaaah! Seriously!”
It was as if they weren’t even speaking the same language.
Elise’s eyes were dead serious, making it unlikely there was any way to persuade her.
“Why do you want to help the goddess, Adriana?”
“Huh?!”
Clenching her teeth and thickening the protective magic, Adriana was creating an imposing barrier; it seemed difficult for Bertia to break through.
“She’s the one who did this to my master. A vile woman who dared to take him away! I doubt my master would want that.”
Hoo! Can it be that simple? I don’t think it can!
Taking a breath, Adriana chose her words carefully.
To be honest, she didn’t even know why she was protecting the goddess. Even when Sen was threatening her, she continuously intervened to help.
At that time, she just wanted to.
That longing was boiling up now.
But in this desperate moment, she found her answer.
“We wouldn’t have made it this far without the Goddess of Time’s help.”
Twice with the Goddess of Death, once with the God of Life.
Even if the world had already fallen, the one that turned back time was the goddess right behind her.
Even after giving it her all and becoming insignificant…
Despite having some purpose, ultimately, the Goddess of Time had also played a part in saving the continent.
But Elise would never accept that kind of reasoning.
“You’re not trying to convince me with that nonsense, are you? Ultimately, that’s just the outcome. That goddess intended to destroy the continent just the same!”
“Can’t we just pass it off as something that nearly succeeded?”
“Sadly, that won’t work. Now that my master is gone, my dull life has become even duller. If I had never known such spicy flavors, I might have suffered less.”
Though she was pretending it didn’t matter, Elise wasn’t made of stone. The mere fact that she had clung to Daniel McLean for three years, sacrificing everything, spoke volumes about her shattered state.
“Yeah, maybe. I was just saying things on a whim.”
Hehe. Adriana smiled, having discovered the real reason she wanted to save the goddess. It was a relieving yet satisfying feeling amidst her frustration.
“If it was Daniel, he would’ve saved her.”
Twist.
Elise’s eyebrows twitched slightly. Sen, who had been leaning against the wall, slowly approached them.
In Adriana’s eyes, that day was still fresh.
The day Daniel McLean broke his witch’s covenant and courageously faced Apviel while fleeing from the King of Insects during the festival.
How he’d sternly instructed her to let go of her dying self.
The words that survival comes from becoming dirty.
Even as years passed, Daniel’s lines remained etched in her mind, and Adriana found herself smiling.
“The Daniel McLean I knew was that kind of man.”
Hoo.
Elise exhaled and clenched her fist.
“Not liking this, are you?”
The magic of the unbroken ring howled more fiercely.
“Why do you act like you know him better than I do? The Daniel I knew would have killed that goddess without a second thought.”
It was a strange direction for jealousy, but Adriana simply chuckled in response.
“I know him better, actually. I didn’t just follow him around like a little puppy.”
“Huh, heh.”
Elise’s golden eyes clouded with anger.
“Adriana, you’ve crossed the line.”
