Valo had no idea that she had already stumbled into the sights of the Imperial Family, nor that the hidden hands within the Clock Tower were keeping tabs on her in the strangest of places.
Since Kaika formally received an admission invitation from the Clock Tower of the Havoc Empire the next day, everything was proceeding exactly as Valo had planned.
Three words: Pop the champagne.
At that moment, inside the Clock Tower.
This was the Special Dormitory Area, a place where even ordinary students of the Clock Tower were not allowed to enter at will, specifically reserved for special students.
The clinking of glass rang out in Finney’s cozy little room, marking the beginning of a small victory feast for Valo and her two daughters.
“Congratulations, Kaika. Starting today, you are a member of the Clock Tower, and you can be considered my junior.”
The Female Hero clinked her glass, filled with a transparent liquid, against Kaika’s glass across the low table.
Even though it was a zero-alcohol white grape drink, the girl’s cheeks were flushed with a rosy hue of joy.
It was definitely because the [Justice Value] in the [Nurturing Panel] for Valo’s ‘Hero daughter’ was ridiculously high.
Finney was now the literal embodiment of everything great and righteous.
Valo could clearly feel that Finney was sincerely happy about being able to help Kaika integrate into the Empire and settle down.
“I’ll help you settle into your studies and life at the Clock Tower as soon as possible. Your separate dormitory should be arranged within the next two days.”
“More importantly… I hope you’ll be more careful about using and showing the Demon Magic you’ve mastered. You really gave me a fright on the day of the entrance exam. You can’t cause any more trouble for Mother.”
However, the good times did not last long.
The originally harmonious and warm ‘mother-daughter time’ took a sudden turn for the worse the moment Finney inadvertently shifted the topic to Valo!
It definitely wasn’t my imagination!
Kaika, who had been sensible and polite while thanking Finney just a moment ago, suddenly tightened her grip on her glass!
A crisp crack echoed through the small room as the glass shattered!
“You don’t need to worry about Mother’s affairs, ‘Sister.’ Regardless, she’s bound to depend on me from now on…”
“After all, Mother can’t do anything if she leaves my side, can she? Heh.”
A strange emotion crept into the girl’s voice.
‘Is she being sarcastic about her mom being useless?’
Valo wasn’t surprised by this. In this timeline, her relationship with this unfilial daughter was already terrible.
Now, under Valo’s secret influence, Kaika had passed the entrance exam for the Empire’s highest institution through sheer strength…
This rebellious girl, whose wings had already hardened, had now used a springboard to soar into the sky.
She probably didn’t dare say much to Valo’s face, but in her heart, she was surely looking down on her useless Demon King mother, right?
Was she heartbroken, disappointed, or angry?
As if!
She was actually blooming with joy inside.
If the situation allowed it, she really wanted to tell this unfilial daughter: ‘Go ahead and be as sarcastic as you want! Anyway, your mother’s plan has already succeeded!’
Faced with Kaika’s snort, Finney looked a bit troubled and prepared to explain.
“Uh, Kaika, regarding Mother’s future arrangements, I actually — “
Before she could finish, Valo interrupted her!
“I’ll say it, Finney.”
Valo rose from her corner and walked over to Kaika.
Now that Kaika had successfully entered the Clock Tower, it was the perfect time to officially begin severing their mother-daughter relationship!
Therefore, she had to announce the next decision herself!
Valo took a deep breath, her gaze solemn, doing her best to look like a mother acting in her daughter’s best interest.
“Kaika, since you have entered the Clock Tower, it is time for you to become independent.”
“Considering our identities, try not to mention your relationship with me to others after you start your studies.”
“As for me, I’ve already asked Finney to find a safe place for me to stay nearby. From now on, unless it’s necessary… you should avoid contacting me.”
Likely never expecting Valo to choose to live alone, Kaika’s eyes filled with astonishment for a moment.
“Huh? Mo — Mother?”
Suddenly, the girl’s gaze pierced toward Finney like a cold sword. Finney, feeling guilty, turned her face away.
Then, as if remembering something, Kaika hurried to urge Valo to stay.
“Wait, Mother, you’re moving out? Wh — Why?”
“Haven’t I already become a student of the Clock Tower? I’ll have a dormitory next! Wouldn’t it be fine for you to live with me?”
‘Who would dare sleep with an unfilial daughter like you? Once your Blackening Value is full, a Matricide Plot Kill will trigger. There’s no guarantee you won’t decide to “kill in your sleep” one night.’
Valo obviously couldn’t tell her the truth.
In the past, she had no choice, but now she had plenty of excuses.
“Under normal circumstances, outsiders aren’t allowed to live in the Clock Tower. I’m only staying here temporarily. I certainly can’t keep troubling Finney and the Great Sage.”
“Then I can ask the Great Sage — “
“Kaika — this is for the best.”
Valo interrupted the girl’s attempt to make her stay. “Besides, I’m not leaving the Empire; I’m just moving nearby.”
“The sun hasn’t set yet. I’ll go drop off my luggage at the place Finney arranged for me.”
“Oh, right. Neither of you needs to follow me. Kaika, you’re about to start school, so there must be many things you need to prepare, right? Finney, you should help your sister out.”
Having finished her piece, Valo didn’t give either girl a chance to speak. She waved her hand and slipped away as fast as she could!
She was afraid that if she were even a step slower, those two little terrors would grab her and refuse to let her go!
She walked and jogged all the way out of Finney’s dormitory. On the horizon, the setting sun painted the sky in shades of crimson.
Valo breathed in the air, which smelled of fresh grass, along the tree-lined path leading out of the Clock Tower.
She stretched comfortably.
“Hmm — as expected of me.”
Her mood was as pleasant as could be.
Cutting ties with Kaika was already half-successful. Although the information for her daughter Kaika was still visible on the [Nurturing Panel], Valo wasn’t surprised.
Cutting a mother-daughter relationship wasn’t something that could be done so cleanly and quickly.
Even if Kaika had a bad relationship with her mother, she probably couldn’t accept it immediately.
That was likely why Kaika had tried to make her stay just now.
But it didn’t matter. In this timeline, Kaika already disliked her.
Once Kaika started her studies at the Clock Tower and became busy with schoolwork, her [Blackening Value] would decrease while they were physically distanced from each other…
Kaika would naturally come to care less about their relationship.
By then, whether Kaika chose not to recognize her as her mother or Valo found an opportunity to perform a literal “divine severance,” everything would fall into place.
Valo felt she had won big. The advantage was hers!
So, should she strike while the iron was hot and find a reasonable way to shed her status as the Female Hero Finney’s mother?
Kaika’s [Blackening Value] was naturally dangerous, but Finney’s [Justice Value], which might lead her to execute her own family for the greater good before taking her own life, was just as much of a problem.
However, while Valo was daydreaming about the future…
The sky gradually darkened. On the inexplicably empty road ahead, a familiar figure of a blonde girl appeared.
She stood squarely in Valo’s path, with two attendants behind her.
“Eh? You’re the one from the Hero Party…”
The Knight Princess, right? ‘Sister, you certainly put on airs, bringing two burly female knights as bodyguards just to go out?’
But before Valo could offer a polite greeting, the blonde girl in front of her showed a conflicted and pained expression!
Lowering her voice, she said one thing.
“I — I’m sorry, Mom!”
‘Who is your mother? Why is this Knight Princess acting so much like me?’
Thump!
Just as that thought crossed her mind, Valo’s vision went black, and she lost consciousness.
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