“Are you the Demon Lord?”
Fuerse’s voice was soft, teasing as she uttered those five words.
Xia Li’s blood froze instantly. Faced with the gazes cast by the others, her heartbeat and breath both stopped for a moment. She instinctively wanted to refute but swallowed the words back.
She couldn’t lie! That was basically an admission!
Damn it…
This question was on a completely different level from the previous two!
Why would Fuerse ask that?
How did she sense Xia Li’s dual identity?
No, think positively.
Knowing Fuerse’s terrible personality, maybe she was just joking around, asking that question for fun…
But for Xia Li, it was deadly serious!
From the earlier questions, the logic of the interrogation was clear.
Lying or evading would result in being struck down by the blade hanging above.
But if she truly admitted to being the Demon Lord…
Veronica would surely hang her up on the rack and roast her, literally!
Not to mention the talk of live dissection; slow death by repeated cuts while fully conscious; sealing her magic completely and sinking her into the sea with torture devices; feeding her madness-inducing drugs as a plaything for nobles…
Xia Li ran through every imaginable form of torture and arrived at only one conclusion.
There would be no mercy!
Either way, it meant death!
She couldn’t hesitate for too long either or it would raise suspicion…
“I, Xia Li, am the Demon Lord? What nonsense are you talking about?”
Without time to think of a better strategy, Xia Li’s gaze landed on Fuerse with a deliberately heavier emphasis on the words “I” and “Xia Li.”
The Demon Lord was Sisilia, not me, Xia Li.
…Would that explanation work?
The blood-red blade swayed slightly above her head.
Stop it! Oh Goddess of the Night, if you’re watching from the heavens, could you ease up a little? After all, I’m blessed by you—I shouldn’t be treated this cruelly.
“Hehe, just kidding~” Fuerse stuck her tongue out, “So Xia Lili, your answer is ‘No,’ right?”
If it was a joke, then don’t press the matter further!
Xia Li snorted silently and shrugged with a smile. “You’d have a better chance saying I came from another world. That’s more likely than me being the Demon Lord.”
That was a solid truth.
After all, she really had come from another world.
As for being the Demon Lord… well, at most it was only half true.
Hmm, 100% is greater than 50%.
Regardless of whether that was objectively true, Xia Li firmly believed it in her heart.
She didn’t know if her convoluted reasoning had somehow convinced the Goddess of the Night or if the goddess was just merciful and gave her some slack because she was blessed…
The blade above her head stopped swaying.
With the three questions answered, the blood-red light gradually faded.
The candles on the sacred altar were extinguished.
“The ritual magic has ended. I hope you have found the answers you sought.” The nun clasped her hands and began reciting praises to the Goddess of the Night in front of the Crescent Moon’s holy relic.
“It’s enough for me to be sure that neither of you harbors any harmful intent toward the empire. I apologize for taking up your time.” Veronica bowed apologetically to Xia Li and Fuerse.
“No problem~ This was kind of fun.” Fuerse chuckled. “Xia Lili, Verin, what fun activities are next?”
“I’m going to pray to the Goddess of the Night and recite scriptures. I’ll be joining Miss Lorin for Mass. Would you like to come with me?”
“Uh… that kind of thing’s not really for me. How about you, Xia Lili?”
“I’m going to sleep now. Farewell.” Xia Li wanted nothing more than to put as much distance as possible between herself and those two—Fuerse and Veronica—so she grabbed Filia’s hand and headed out.
“Ugh, why is everyone so boring~” Fuerse complained from behind.
After stepping outside the church, Filia finally spoke up, “You really dislike those two, don’t you?”
“Yeah, right? The only thing I got out of meeting them was a lot of money. Nothing else gave me peace of mind.” Xia Li sighed deeply.
At last, it was safe…
Though perhaps only temporarily.
Who knew what kind of thoughts Veronica and Fuerse might harbor about her after today.
Especially Fuerse…
Xia Li could barely understand Veronica’s behavioral logic, but Fuerse… she had no idea what was going on in that woman’s head.
She truly hoped never to cross paths with her again.
“How much did they spend to get you in front of a lord-class monster?” Filia asked curiously.
“That much!” Xia Li held up five fingers. Five shining gold coins popped out of her ring one after another, a handful of warm, smooth coins cradled in her palm.
Filia was momentarily stunned.
Five gold coins, converted, was five hundred silver coins.
Even for a high-ranking adventurer like her, that was a fortune she’d struggled months to earn in the outskirts of Steinburg!
And Xia Li was just a novice adventurer who had only just started.
“…Impressive.” Filia said sincerely.
“Although it’s a lot of money, I’d rather be with you guys than just earning cash.” Xia Li pocketed the coins, her voice softening. “Filia-nee, from now on, I’ll use this money to support you.”
A chill ran down Filia’s back, goosebumps rising all over her body, her expression instantly hardening. “Who do you think you’re calling ‘nee’!”
“I’m the same age as Enis, and we’re so close, so isn’t it natural to use the same term? Filia-nee~” Xia Li deliberately slowed her tone.
“You… pervert!” Filia’s face darkened.
Seeing Filia’s reaction healed Xia Li’s bruised spirit after being tortured by Veronica and Fuerse.
Hehe, teasing Filia really was more fun.
…Could Fuerse’s teasing of her just be motivated by this kind of thought?
“Anyway, seriously, what was that sacred relic you mentioned earlier?” Xia Li was curious. Why was such a precious thing as divine blood entrusted to Filia’s care instead of Saint Veronica’s?
“…It’s said to be the blood of the Goddess of the Night, given over three hundred years ago to the former Savior, the Hero.” Filia hesitated but eventually spoke.
“Blood of the Goddess of the Night?”
“Yes, it was requested by Lord Alma from the Holy City and is guarded simultaneously by the Four Great Families… Succeeding in this mission brings no reward, but failure is a grave crime.”
“No wonder they entrusted it to you.”
“Well, in the vast Steinburg, I’m the only high-ranking magician from the Kafus family…”
“The others from the other families are also high-ranking magicians?”
“Don’t get any ideas. Besides me, there are two other high-ranking magicians, plus Lord Alma, who’s an ultra-tier mage…” Filia coughed lightly at the memory of Alma Stein’s state on the night of the banquet, “And Saint Veronica is also in Steinburg.”
“Don’t worry, I’m more interested in you than the divine blood.”
“…What are you trying to do now?”
“Didn’t I say? Tonight, we’re having a candlelit dinner together.”