"......!!?"

    "......?!?"

    "......??!"

    “Seong... do you know... that being?”

    Plang, Adeline, and Lyiaden were utterly speechless, overwhelmed by the presence of the entity before them.

    Even Hindel, who barely managed to speak, found it difficult to stand firm.

    Yet, Seong spoke to the figure so nonchalantly, even identifying who—or what—it was.

    The hero’s party was in shock.

    They had already been aware of Seong’s abilities, but this...

    This was beyond anything they could have imagined.

    To Hindel’s party, this being was a terrifyingly powerful monster.

    But to Seong...

    “It’s just Fiora...”

    That was all.

    He was simply meeting Fiora.

    Fiora did emanate a powerful pressure, but it was merely the result of her overwhelming dark mana.

    It wasn’t an active threat—it was simply a natural byproduct of her presence.@@@@

    To Seong, it felt as familiar and harmless as air.

    In fact, he found it almost refreshing.

    And it wasn’t just a feeling.

    [You have been exposed to pure dark mana.]

    [This dark mana is compatible with the Overlord.]

    [All stats temporarily increase by 5%.]

    “Oh, so there’s a bonus like this too?”

    This encounter was already proving to be an excellent opportunity.

    However, Fiora seemed nervous, fidgeting and twisting her body as if unsure of what to do.

    Seong wanted to recall what Fiora had been doing in this era but found it difficult to access those memories.

    Perhaps it was due to her being such a high-ranking spirit.

    He figured he might be able to recall later, but for now, it seemed impossible.

    “Uh, uh, I... I’m a, um, subordinate of Lady Helena. M-my name is a secret!”

    Her timid tone and demeanor were so endearing that Seong almost burst into laughter.

    But he managed to stay composed, choosing to listen quietly.

    The fact that Fiora had come all this way meant she had something important to say.

    Both Seong and the hero’s party waited patiently.

    After taking a deep breath to calm herself, Fiora finally continued.

    “Anyway, Lady Helena just wants to live quietly... So don’t come looking for her!”

    Her tone was firm, even showing a hint of hostility—surprising for someone as timid as her.

    That small amount of hostility was enough to make the entire party tremble.

    Everyone except Seong, of course.

    Fiora’s unyielding resolve was clear.

    But retreating now wasn’t an option.

    “...My apologies for troubling you, messenger. However, we’ve come not to fight but to speak with Lady Helena.”

    “There’s no need! Humans are always chasing after Lady Helena wherever she goes! Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused her?!”

    “...We apologize for that, but we truly wish to...”

    “Enough! I don’t want to hear it anymore! I’m leaving, so don’t come after me!”

    With that, Fiora shouted fiercely, transformed into a phoenix, and flew away.

    As soon as she disappeared, the party let out shaky breaths, their shoulders rising and falling as they finally relaxed.

    Freed from the overwhelming pressure, they couldn’t help but marvel at Hindel’s persistence in trying to negotiate and Seong’s unshaken composure throughout the encounter.

    Even now, their hands and legs were trembling from the residual tension.

    How could those two remain so unaffected?

    Each party member silently admired them.

    Only Hindel sighed in frustration, muttering, “Sigh, we didn’t make any progress in the conversation.”

    “Hm,” Seong responded noncommittally, though he couldn’t help but understand Helena’s position.

    She just wanted to live peacefully, yet people kept showing up to bother her.

    It was like overly persistent missionaries going door-to-door in an apartment complex—or perhaps more like stalkers, considering the consistency.

    It must be exhausting.

    Still, Hindel’s intentions were understandable too.

    “I’m not sure what to do.”

    In the present world, people called her the Demon King.

    Helena, seeing Fiora’s pout, smiled elegantly and asked, “Fiora, why do you look so upset?”

    “Ah, ah! L-Lady Helena?!”

    “Yes, it’s me. Now, what’s wrong? Why are you sulking?”

    “Ah, uh... it’s just...”

    “It’s okay. Take your time and tell me.”

    Helena’s gentle encouragement seemed to soothe Fiora. After a moment of hesitation, she cautiously began to explain.

    “W-well... I went to deliver your message to the human hero’s party, but... but they insisted that they must speak with you...”

    “Ah, so that’s why you’re upset?”

    “Y-yes...”

    Hearing Fiora’s explanation, Helena gently tapped her crimson lips with a finger in a thoughtful gesture.

    Was she pondering something?

    Or perhaps she was considering a decision?

    Fiora couldn’t tell, but she silently hoped that whatever Helena chose would align with her wishes.

    “Still, don’t let it bother you too much. It’s true they’re annoying, but they’re just doing their job in their own way.”

    “Huh?! B-but...”

    “Fiora, how would you feel if I told you not to serve me anymore?”

    “H-huh?! I’ve never thought about that... but... I think I’d be really sad.”

    Fiora’s face crumpled as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

    Helena gently patted Fiora’s head and said, “See? Stopping someone from doing what they want or need to do can be a very sad thing.”

    “Ah, ah! I understand now!”

    “That’s my smart Fiora.”

    Helena’s soothing words calmed Fiora.

    Still, the thought crossed Helena’s mind: “They’re annoying, sure. Should I move somewhere else if they come back? But I do like this castle... what a bother.”

    As Helena wrestled with the trivial dilemma, Fiora suddenly remembered something.

    “Ah, oh! I almost forgot... L-Lady Helena, a human knew my name...”

    “They knew your name, Fiora?”

    Helena’s brows furrowed slightly in curiosity.

    A human who knew Fiora’s name?

    As Helena’s intrigue grew, Fiora explained what had happened. She recounted how Seong had recognized her immediately and mentioned that his aura felt somewhat similar to Helena’s.

    Helena listened carefully, processing the information.

    In less than a second, she analyzed the world’s currents, her soul’s state, and the fragments of her energy scattered across existence.

    And then, she understood.

    Helena smiled faintly and snapped her fingers.

    Snap!

    Suddenly, as though something had melted and reformed from the floor, a humanoid figure emerged.

    But was it truly a man?

    The figure appeared androgynous, at times resembling a woman, an old man, or even a child. Its gender, age, and very existence seemed impossible to define.

    “Did you summon me, my lady?” the figure asked.

    Fiora gasped in surprise, “Huh?! Oh, it’s you!”

    But Helena narrowed her eyes as she looked at the being and asked coldly, “Was this your doing?”

    “...What do you mean, my lady?”

    “H-huh?!”

    The figure appeared genuinely flustered—not out of guilt, but as if hurt that its loyalty had been questioned.

    Even Fiora seemed startled, as if to say, "That’s impossible!"

    Helena observed the figure carefully, her emerald-green eyes glowing faintly, and confirmed there was no falsehood in its words.

    “No, it wasn’t you. You may leave.”

    “...I don’t understand, but as you wish, my lady.”

    “It’s not your fault... for now.”

    “...Understood.”

    “H-huh?!”

    The being vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving Fiora alone with a bewildered expression.

    Helena stroked Fiora’s head again to calm her and thought to herself, “A world of the past, recreated.”

    More specifically, a recreated past world.

    There could only be one culprit capable of orchestrating such a thing.

    “Noctranium... what are you scheming?”

    Though she didn’t fully understand why things had come to this, Helena decided to enjoy the present moment.

    “So, Fiora, what did my successor look like? What kind of person were they? What do you think they liked?”

    “H-huh?! Your successor?!”

    “Yes. Someone invited my successor to this world. I thought I might send them a little gift—what do you think?”

    “I-I think... anything from Lady Helena would be wonderful!”

    “Hm, but I should see what they need first. Let’s take a look.”

    Helena waved her hand, and a mirror shimmering with a teal hue appeared. Within it, she saw Seong engaged in battle with Hindel.

    “Huh! That’s him!”

    “Hm? Handsome, isn’t he? I like him. Oh, and he uses a sword too? Hmm, in that case, I think that would make the perfect gift.”