Alexia’s hand slowly fell.
One drop after another of a viscous yet impossibly smooth liquid crept forward from the back of the throne.
It halted abruptly just as it was about to touch the slumbering Alexia on the throne.
“Ga~ka~zhi!”
A Temporal Rift unfolded beside the throne, and mechanical tentacles reached out from within.
In an instant, they transformed into magitech devices, aiming at the throne.
“…Little Zan, you can’t touch Her Majesty the Empress.”
Although it was a warning, the weak voice made it hard not to tease her.
After September Nine appeared, the liquid’s frozen state vanished.
It shifted from colorless to red, then quickly to blue-violet.
As it receded, a white figure appeared behind the throne.
September Nine looked somewhat helplessly at Little Zan, who was identical to the Witch Chief Zanno.
“You’re impersonating the Chief again. If she finds out, she’ll definitely scold you.”
“Then you’ve misunderstood me, September Nine. My being here is by the Chief’s will—she wants me to monitor the Imperial Empress and the Knight Commander.”
Little Zan spoke as she turned to look at Alexia, who was under her sleep spell on the throne.
“But the Imperial Empress’s mental strength is truly astonishing. She managed to stay conscious even after continuously casting ancient forbidden magic and being possessed by a deity.”
If Alexia hadn’t been so drained, Little Zan wouldn’t have dared to reveal herself at this moment.
“Then why did you want to touch her?”
September Nine reached out, separating her from Alexia.
She absolutely wouldn’t let Little Zan touch Alexia.
Otherwise, unpredictable changes might occur in the future.
The Twelfth Seat of the Witch Council—Little Zan.
She wasn’t a witch, but a slime.
Through long contact with Zanno, she gradually developed sentience and became convinced she was a witch.
If she touched Alexia, Little Zan would have the opportunity to become Alexia in the future.
And in every way, she’d become flawless.
Everything Alexia could do, she’d replicate perfectly, even matching her strength.
This was also one way she gathered target information.
But in her untransformed state, she was just an ordinary slime—her fluid body made her mobile, but she posed no real threat.
September Nine knew Little Zan’s abilities well and wouldn’t let her near Alexia.
“Prevention is better than cure. You know the Empress’s temperament—if she really declares war on the Witch Council, I could paralyze the entire Empire by transforming into her.”
Little Zan made no effort to hide her intentions from September Nine.
“My good sister September Nine, just let me touch her once, just once! Or the Knight Commander will do. You can tell from his body’s strength he’s not human!”
Whether Alexia or Simon, if she possessed either body, it was equivalent to gaining a trump card.
“No!”
September Nine, uncharacteristically firm, said, “…You can’t touch them. I’ve made a contract with Her Majesty the Empress—I must protect her at this time and cannot let you take advantage.”
Little Zan bared her teeth at September Nine.
“Waaah!”
September Nine completely ignored her stubborn, beast-like display.
“Where’s the Chief?”
“In the Imperial Capital.”
“What?!”
September Nine froze.
“You’re saying she’s in the Imperial Capital right now?”
“Mm.”
Little Zan nodded.
“I don’t know!”
She had already anticipated September Nine’s question and answered first.
“You know the Chief almost never discusses her actions with others. Even if she did, it would be with the Witch of Fate, not me.”
She only followed orders.
The Chief sent her to watch over Alexia and Simon, so she came.
Back at Simon’s manor, if it hadn’t been the Chief’s body, anyone else would’ve been discovered.
Only monsters can fight monsters.
That Knight Commander and the Chief are obviously the same kind of person.
“I see…”
September Nine stopped asking and turned away in silence.
“Little Zan, you can report everything you saw today to the Chief, but I absolutely won’t allow you to touch Alexia.”
“But if you really have the ability to get close to Simon, that’s none of my business.”
Her contract only involved Alexia, not Simon.
“If you don’t help me, and he isn’t as weak as the Imperial Empress, how am I supposed to get close to him?!”
Little Zan wailed, then looked dejected.
“September Nine, have you really decided not to return to the Witch Council? I miss you…”
“I miss you too, Little Zan. If you want to see me, you can come anytime. But I really won’t go back to the Witch Council.”
September Nine tilted her head to look at her.
“The Chief and I aren’t on the same path.”
“She’s strong, great, a good person—the person I respect most in my life. But she can’t help me.”
“Is it because witches aren’t recognized by the world, and your magitech can’t be made public?”
Little Zan asked, puzzled.
September Nine shook her head.
“Do you really think I care that much about reputation? If I did, I never would’ve left the Witch Council.”
“That’s why I say, Little Zan, you’ve never really grown up. When you realize there are things more important than life itself in this world, you’ll truly understand humanity.”
With that, September Nine didn’t linger.
A Temporal Rift opened before her.
After she left, the stillness in the great hall gradually faded, and the flow of time returned to normal.
……
“Good evening, September Nine.”
September Nine had just passed through the Temporal Rift when she was stunned by the scene before her.
On the other side, a figure stood as if waiting.
That person wore a white mask, identical to Little Zan’s transformed appearance.
Yet September Nine knew clearly—the real Witch Chief stood before her.
Because the presence was so pure, so devoid of any aura, it was unmistakable.
That she could enter the Research Facility so easily proved her identity.
September Nine had never set any special access restrictions for the Witch Chief.
She’d even accurately predicted the position of September Nine’s Temporal Rift.
“…Chief…Chief…”
September Nine stammered.
“Why are you here?”
Zanno gently touched her shoulder.
“You’re the same as ever, getting so nervous you can’t speak around me… As for why I’m here, I really had no choice.”
“Normally, the Empire can’t detect witch interference, but there have always been those inside who want to expose us.”
“Elma’s sudden actions confused me. She’s bold, but not that bold. Now I finally understand.”
She’d been observing since the initial unrest in the Imperial Capital.
“The Loin royal family, which ruled the Empire for ten thousand years, is truly extraordinary. Even as controlled undead, they never forgot to aid the Empire.”
Zanno spoke with admiration.
“I admit the late King Terrance was incredible. His single act of Self-Destruction revealed all hidden problems in the Imperial Capital, helped Alexia see the Empire’s true enemies, and even forced Pandas to act ahead of schedule.”
“If I kept standing by, considering the Empress’s policies to date, once Pandas was dealt with, the Empire would soon move against the Witch Council.”
“That’s why I want to discuss Alexia with you. Maybe there’s a form of cooperation possible between us.”