CHAPTER 76: DARK ELF KATRIA (2)

0% “...”

“...”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the basement. Even the ominous aura permeating the place seemed to awkwardly read the room.

On one side, there was Kella the devil worshiper who had cornered the noblewoman Katria. On the other, there was Kieran the knight captain who was determined to protect his lady.

Amidst their intense standoff, something that absolutely should not have happened, did—the noble lady’s revival.

With Katria’s mind fully restored, the devil worshiper’s confident threats and the knight captain’s desperate hatred suddenly felt out of place.

All the while, the topaz which formed the Eye of Verdandes shone obliviously.

Of course, these were no ordinary individuals. They quickly regained their composure, once again filling the air with suffocating tension.

Even the ominous aura intensified, further charging the room’s atmosphere.

Thrrk!

A sudden strike unfolded, like sand flowing down a dune.

The knight’s drawn blade pierced the devil worshiper’s body. The entire sequence happened in one fluid motion.

In an instant, the captain of the Moonshade Order was upon the devil worshiper, pinning her in place with a peculiar dagger buried deep in her side.

It was already a fatal blow; with just a bit more force, it would tear through her lungs and bring certain death.

Some derisively called the Moonshade Order an assassination squad. It was a mix of awe and resentment toward the unnatural swiftness their arcane arts granted.

A death like this—silent, effortless—involved no emotion in its execution.

The Moonshade Order’s arcane art, Sand Step, had been unleashed.

“...!”

The devil worshiper had largely transcended the constraints of the flesh. Physical damage and the resulting pain held little meaning for her.

Nevertheless, her expression betrayed clear bewilderment. The remnants of humanity she hadn’t fully shed reminded her of the fear of death.

Had she not been granted a fragment of His power, she wouldn’t have dared to even lift her gaze before this man. She would have surrendered her life to him without resistance.

The dark elf who had become a devil worshiper trembled anew as she personally experienced the terrifying reality of the Moonshade Order captain’s reputation.

What an irrational strike. What an irrational power.

And then she trembled again—this time, at herself. At the fact that she could now stand against him as an equal, perhaps even as his superior. At the One who had granted her such power.

This was just from absorbing a mere portion of the power sealed in Verdandes’ Eye. If she were to accept the very being sealed in Verdandes’ Hand—if she were to fully recover the power weakened by the seal...

A sigh of exhilaration escaped her lips, her face flushed with anticipation for the future.

The Moonshade Order captain had planned to assert his dominance through force, then resume the conversation in the form of interrogation.

But just as he was about to speak, the devil worshiper stole the momentum.

“Impatient, are we?”

Her voice brimmed with elation and ecstasy instead of pain or fear.

“...!”

For a brief moment, Kieran was shaken by the eerie sight, and the devil worshiper didn’t let that hesitation go to waste.

Her hand brushed against his sword hand—lightly at first, then with growing force. Like a serpent coiling around its prey before striking, she gripped him tightly and pulled with all her strength.

Squelch!

The rest of his blade sank fully into her body.

“Haa...”

A slow, melting sigh spilled from Kella’s lips—excitement at enduring the strength of someone like Kieran, at being able to claim that victory aloud.

“I understand. You can’t help yourself.”

Kella’s demeanor shifted entirely. She cast off the remnants of her identity as a dark elf, no longer bound by the shadow of Kehlryn or the Moonshade Order. Now, she stood before the insignificant mortal not as herself, but as the proxy of a greater being.

“After all, you still know nothing. Isn’t that right?”

“...”

That the strike delivered through Sand Step hadn’t been fatal was surprising—but not enough to rattle the Moonshade Order captain.

From the moment Kieran set foot in the basement and sensed the ominous aura filling the air, he had considered every possibility. Even now, he could shake off her touch and utterly destroy her defenseless body.

A part of him was even curious. Would she truly feel no pain then? Would she still speak so leisurely?

But he couldn’t act. Because, as Kella had said, he knew nothing.

What disturbed the still waters of the Moonshade Order captain’s mind wasn’t the devil worshiper’s ominous power, but the unknown threat looming over his lady and young master.

It was why he had broken his own principles, as both the Moonshade Order captain and Katria’s guard, by stepping into enemy territory unprepared.

Just now, Kieran had attempted to seize the initiative, but in truth, he was already far too late. The battle had begun long ago—the moment Kella, that devil worshiper, set her sights on his defenseless young master.

How many moves had she made in that time?

He didn’t know. What was certain was that this cunning, insidious devil worshiper had already ensnared his young master...and perhaps even his lady.

Kieran’s momentum faltered, his stance shifting to a more defensive posture.

Kella smiled in satisfaction as she brushed her fingers along his chin.

“A wise decision. As a reward, I’ll tell you one thing. About Drian, his exact condition. Though it seems our dear noble lady has used some method to restore his consciousness for now, you’d best not be complacent about that fact. Right now, he’s essentially in the same state as me, just to a different degree.”

“It can’t be...!”

Kieran’s expression lost its composure, coloring with shock.

Kella’s face twisted into an eerie smile of ecstasy.

“That’s right. Like me, he’s become an undeniable part of Lord Verdandes. He may be acting normal on the outside now, but inside? Oh, he must be festering as he feels the presence of the devil his ancestors sealed.”

***“Mm...”

A dark elf sat perched on the windowsill, lost in thought. Bathed in sunlight, he was unmistakably the young master of House Sahila, the man who had set many hearts aflutter in Kehlryn—Drian.

“Feels like I’m forgetting something...”

Drian carefully assessed his current state. He was trying to piece together how he had awakened in this unfamiliar yet welcoming place.

But his efforts were in vain. His body felt too pristine to draw any conclusions, as if all the grime—along with the memories it carried—had been washed away.

“Well, no matter.”

So, Drian simply shrugged it off, feeling at complete ease.

Feeling hungry, he left the bedroom.

The living room greeted his eyes, and on the dining table sat a lavish spread.

Drian quickly realized this meal had been freshly prepared every day, awaiting his uncertain awakening. A smile crossed his face, touched by such thoughtful consideration.

He felt happy.

***“...”

Kieran’s face contorted with anguish as he imagined Drian’s condition based on Kella’s words.

She pressed her advantage, leaning in close and whispering in his ear.

“And...how do you think Lady Katria will react when she learns the truth?”

“...”

“True despair always follows hope.”

Kella flaunted Verdandes’ brightly glowing Eye as she continued.

“You’ve noticed your lady’s poor state recently, haven’t you?”

Of course he had. Kieran vividly remembered her precarious condition, her lifeless and dull eyes. She was teetering on the edge, one step away from collapse.

“In that state, what do you think will happen when she learns her brother has become part of a devil?”

“...”

“What will become of the girl when she realizes she must kill her own brother for the sake of the family?”

The Moonshade Order captain’s eyes wavered.

Holding his gaze, the devil worshiper delivered her final blow.

“The truth is cruel, but you’d do well to accept it. I’m the only one who can save your lady now.”

***Katria burst into laughter, almost a hearty guffaw. The resigned expression she had worn moments ago vanished without a trace.

She tried to hold it in, but watching Risir’s response, she simply couldn’t contain herself.

“Desert White Lotus...So that’s what was in the soup back then. It was so delicious, and you’re saying it was actually a poisonous herb?”

His deadpan face while uttering such ridiculous words made a mockery of Katria’s resignation and resolve. That’s why she couldn’t help but laugh.

And once again, she had to doubt her own ears.

“Risir. Is that really the appropriate reaction for this situation?”

Meltas seemed to feel much the same, his face a mix of emotions.

“To be honest, I’m confused too. How should I react in this situation? I want to feel betrayed, but the Desert White Lotus was so sweet. Yet if I feel grateful, it turns out I was fed a poisonous herb.”

Meltas offered his opinion on the matter.

“...From a normal human perspective, one usually focuses on the intent in these situations.”

“Intent. I like that.”

Risir’s gaze turned to Katria.

Your intent?

His eyes were nonchalant, as if asking her to pour him some water.

“...”

Katria felt speechless.

Originally, she had no intention of explaining her motives. It was a defense mechanism born from the anxiety that she could never be forgiven, and the guilt that he might actually forgive her.

But Risir’s current attitude...It wasn’t accusatory, reproachful, or pleading.

Just pure curiosity.

Katria had prepared for every scenario where Risir would approach her with contempt and resentment, but this was completely unexpected.

Perhaps that’s why her mouth started moving before she realized it.

“So?”

Words flowed out smoothly.

“Uh-huh. And then?”

More words poured forth.

“Oh dear, you went through such a thing. What happened next?”

The story spilled out effortlessly.

“...So that’s what occurred.”

“...!”

Oh no!

By the time she came to her senses, Katria had spilled everything without holding back.

After hearing it all, Risir started muttering while moving his hands as if calculating something.

“I understand. It’s quite reasonable for you to have misunderstood, Tia. With your brother sold into slavery, it’s no wonder you couldn’t think straight. As a fellow big brother with a cute sibling, I can empathize. And you tried to correct your mistake too.”

Finally, he nodded and offered a suggestion.

“Well, shall we just forget about it then?”

“I—”

Katria tried to speak, but shock rendered her speechless.

“Even though I tried to harm you...?!”

In the end, all she managed was a strained, bewildered voice, cracking under the weight of emotion.

His response carried the same tone as when she was playing the act of a lively maid.

“It’s fine. From what I can tell, I seem to have a constitution that isn’t harmed by such things.”

“...”

He wasn’t boasting or showing off. It was just a calm statement of fact.

Katria stared at Risir, completely stunned.

Meltas interjected.

“Risir...For your information, that Clouded Truth is one of the deadliest poisons on the entire continent. There’s no cure whatsoever, and those who drink it meet a terrible end.”

“In what way?”

“It turns the victim into an empty shell that only responds to specific commands.”

“...Ah. That sounds a bit familiar.”

“Familiar?”

“As it happens, I had a friend who tried something similar on me before.”

Meltas was startled.

“What became of that person?!”

“Turns out they were a good friend after all.”

“?”

“We cleared up the misunderstanding and get along fine now.”

“...You’re quite...how should I put it—magnanimous. Excessively so.”

“Oh come now. Magnanimous, you say.”

Risir laughed awkwardly.

Despite all the unbelievable things he pulled off, the man was feeling genuinely embarrassed. Just from being called magnanimous.

“...”

“...”

Katria and Meltas stared blankly at Risir.

...It was winter.

***The event that was supposed to change everything passed by without much fuss.

While Katria was still reeling from the anticlimax, Risir suddenly addressed her.

“Oh, right. Tia.”

“Oh.”

Katria replied, also remembering something.

“It’s Katria.”

“Huh?”

“Actually, my real name is Katria.”

Though belated, she had finally revealed everything to him. For the first time, she showed her genuine identity.

This realization filled Katria with both relief and joy, thinking she could finally build an honest relationship with him.

“...!”

It was then that shock overwhelmed Risir.

“Kar...tia...? No, Katria...? You’ve been deceiving me all this time...?”

“...?”

Katria was bewildered. He had laughed off her feeding him Clouded Truth, Desert White Lotus, and even a devil, but now he felt betrayed over her name?

“Risir...? I’m sorry...”

“...Yes, well. I suppose these things happen.”

Risir smiled bitterly.

Katria started to feel guilty but stopped, her pride inexplicably wounded. If he wanted her to feel guilty, he should have made her feel it earlier.

“Anyway, back to what I was going to say. Katria, should I give it back?”

“Give what back...?”

“The Clouded Truth and Desert White Lotus are already digested, so that’s impossible, but Verdandes? I think I can return that one.”

“...?”

Katria was struck by extreme confusion. He was talking about the possession by a powerful devil as if it were some borrowed tool.

“What do you mean, give it back? How...? I mean, in the first place—are you really okay?”

“Again with that, so suddenly? Oh, you mean about Verdandes? Don’t worry. This fellow is actually—”

Oh, right. Come to think of it, wasn’t the person who sealed this Verdandes supposed to be a hero of the dark elves? And Katria seems to be a descendant of that hero.

Risir nodded to himself. The truth wasn’t always the best thing to say. There was a reason white lies existed.

For the sake of the dark elves’ pride, he told one willingly.

“—actually an incredibly powerful devil, right?”

“...Yes?”

“It’s still chilling to think about it. How formidable it was...But I was lucky.”

Risir took out a black orb from his hand and passed it to Katria.

“...What’s this?”

“Verdandes.”

“?”

“...Or what used to be?”

“...?”

“Anyway, Verdandes said this was its core.”

Katria reflexively took the black orb.

“I’ll return what’s in here too, once I figure out how.”

Risir pointed to his head as he finished.

“...Okay!”

Katria gave an energetic response—because she had given up trying to understand.

Meltas watched her reaction from the side with an approving smile.

***Looking at the outcome alone, it couldn’t have been better. All problems were resolved, and both Drian and Risir were safe.

Now, all that remained was to properly reward their savior.

“Kieran!”

Katria returned to Reisha’s manor with energetic steps, eager to share the joy of recent events with her knight escort.

“...Kieran?”

He was certainly there.

“My lady.”

With the woman named Kella.

As Katria took in the scene, she fell into deep thought. Those thoughts quickly turned to shock, then hostility.

“You’re the one who—to Drian...”

With the clues before her, Katria pieced together what had happened.

Seeing Katria’s reaction, Kella’s lips curled into an eerie smile.

“You understand so quickly? How clever. That’s good. Now I won’t have to waste my breath explaining or persuading you.”

Kella shot Kieran a meaningful look, and he began to speak.

“My lady, please listen to me for the moment. We must hand over Verdandes’ Hand to her.”

“...What are you saying?”

“My lady, I beg you. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take full responsibility so—”

Though the devil worshiper couldn’t completely steal the knight captain’s will, she had succeeded in exploiting his confusion. Her power severely limited Kieran’s thinking.

I must protect my lady and young master. I must protect my lady and young master. I must protect my lady and young master. I must protect my lady and young master. I must protect my lady and young master.

What would happen if Verdandes’ Hand fell into the devil worshiper’s hands?

Kieran’s darkness-tainted mind couldn’t reach that far. All that mattered to him was protecting his lady and young master from immediate danger.

“Kieran...?”

Katria instantly realized something was very wrong with Kieran. A sinister power filled the room, seeming to invade her mind.

Despair. Those two syllables etched themselves clearly into her consciousness.

“My lady!”

Before Katria could steel herself, Kieran was upon her. His usually gentle hands roughly searched her person.

“Kieran! No!”

Despite Katria’s protests, he seized the spatial pouch containing most of her belongings.

“This is all for you and the young master!!!”

He dumped the contents of the spatial pouch onto the table with a clatter. The topaz bracelet—Verdandes’ Hand—that the devil worshiper so desperately wanted revealed itself.

As Kella reached for the bracelet with satisfaction, something else caught her eye.

Thud.

A black orb had fallen from the pouch.

“...!”

Her expression turned to shock. Then, that shock became ecstasy.

Before the devil worshiper’s eyes was the crystallized power of a being that had completely lost its master.

What could be better than releasing a devil’s seal and receiving its favor?

Becoming that very being itself.

“Amazing...”

How had they managed to sever a powerful devil’s power from its consciousness? It was an unexpected twist—an unforeseen stroke of luck.

As if entranced, Kella picked up the black orb. Without hesitation, she swallowed it. A soft giggle escaped her lips, growing into stifled cackles before erupting into manic, ecstatic laughter.

The devil worshiper—no, the being on the verge of rebirth as a devil—writhed in sheer delight.

“Gagh...!”

But suddenly, something rose in her throat.

“Urrgh!!!”

A torrent of dark red blood gushed from her mouth.

“Why?!”

Kella thrashed about from the extreme pain—or rather, the extremely refreshing sensation overtaking her.

“...?”

The haze lifted from Kieran’s eyes. He couldn’t grasp what had just happened.

...Clarity also returned to Kella’s eyes, which had been clouded by sinister power. She too couldn’t comprehend what had befallen her.

“...”

Katria alone understood what had transpired. She squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing her brow as a certain man’s face flashed in her mind.

The power of the mighty devil—one that the great dark elf House Sahila had ultimately failed to destroy and had kept imprisoned for centuries—had vanished without a trace.

“Wow...”

That was all she could manage. A single breath of astonishment, almost like a sigh.