[Hehe, that washboard Valo Rante, who climbed to the top purely on her bloodline, is finally dead! She should have stayed dead; she lingered on the Demon King’s throne for far too long. Every member of the Demon Clan knows I am much better suited to be the one in charge.]
[Hmm… but the Alliance’s Subjugation Team raided her home. Many of the Holy Relics that could prove my legitimacy as the successor to the Demon King’s throne were snatched away.]
[Oh, right. Emma, aren’t you ridiculously weak for one of my kin? That is perfect for hiding your identity as a member of the Blood Tribe — I command you to split yourself into five paths and head to the Kingdom of Havoc to scout for information on the Holy Relics. It would be best if you could steal them back~]
Emma, like the other girls of the Blood Tribe serving the True Ancestor, was merely one of her kin.
If there was anything special about her, it was likely her status as the “First Embrace” — Emma was the True Ancestor’s very first kin.
A kin was to a True Ancestor what a daughter was to a mother, but the girl’s status as the “eldest daughter” was nothing to be envied.
The True Ancestor used, ordered, and belittled her far more frequently than the other kin.
For instance, upon learning that the Demon King had been defeated by the Hero Party, the True Ancestor immediately birthed the idea of replacing her and ordered Emma to go undercover in the Kingdom of Havoc.
She clearly was not cut out for undercover operations.
Moreover, the girl discovered that the True Ancestor, who was already “a bit stupid,” had become even more foolishly arrogant after the Demon King’s death.
She was developing into a full-blown incompetent ruler without even trying to hide it.
[What, teammates? It’s just you!]
She was being forced to solo the mission.
[Support? Sigh… can’t you find a way to make money yourself, Emma? As my First Embrace, can’t you even support your own life?]
[Fine, fine. Here, take this pair of chopsticks and go eat something delicious.]
She was even forced to be a scavenger.
The girl felt that if she had not used the allowance she had been saving up — money the True Ancestor occasionally gave her — she would have likely starved to death on the way to the Empire.
Fortunately, her luck was good. While working odd jobs, she was discovered by the kind Sister Superior of the Hidden Sea Church, Sister Kenes.
Emma successfully concealed her demonic energy and became a novice nun, sneaking into the largest academy in the Empire — the Clock Tower.
And then…
Even when she was accidentally injured, she did not dare use her magic.
In the infirmary of the Clock Tower, she encountered the Demon King who had supposedly been “defeated by the Hero Party” — Valo Rante II.
The Demon King was completely different from the “useless tyrant” the True Ancestor described!
Working as a health teacher in the Clock Tower was actually a cover while she waited to make a comeback!
Furthermore, even after discovering Emma was a witness, she did not have Kaika kill her to keep her quiet!
‘Master Demon King is so kind~’
‘I really envy Kaika for having such a mother~’
‘It would be great if I could defect to Master Demon King’s side as well~’
‘It would be even better to be Master Demon King’s daughter like Kaika~’
‘I would even be her dog; I’m quite confident in my ability to imitate a puppy.’
After all, by comparison… the True Ancestor was the real failure, was she not?
The next moment, a burst of bright golden holy light erupted before her eyes, momentarily blinding Emma and snapping her back to reality.
The cold marble floor reflected the chill of the room, and the sunlight refracted through the colorful stained-glass windows.
The classical and solemn ritual decorations spoke to the dignity of the hall, while the exquisite stone statue of the Goddess was the most direct way for believers to express their devotion.
This was the second floor of the Clock Tower — the location of the Hidden Sea Church’s branch chapel.
“Small” was merely a relative term; in reality, the chapel occupied almost the entire second floor of the Clock Tower, save for the main walkways.
Under normal circumstances, the chapel was not open to the public, and even most students within the Clock Tower were forbidden from entering.
This was because it served as a storage area for the Holy Relics gathered from various places that were awaiting inspection — much like the stage where antiques are thoroughly examined before being placed in a showroom.
They investigated the origins of the Holy Relics and made preliminary judgments regarding their functions and safety.
At the same time… they allowed a few gifted geniuses to see if they could successfully activate them.
At this moment, Emma stood beside Sister Superior Kenes, watching Miss Anqi, the Saintess of the Hidden Sea Church, attempt to bond with a newly arrived Holy Relic.
“The inscription on this Holy Relic reads ‘Purity Protection of Askara.’ The Great Sage has preliminary judged it to be a defensive relic. Even from a literal standpoint, one can see what the activation condition for this relic is.”
Sister Superior Kenes, a blonde nun in a deep blue habit who looked elegant and intellectual, explained the situation to Emma before turning her gaze toward Miss Anqi.
“Lady Saintess, what is the result?”
In response, the noble Skywing girl shook her head with a look of slight disappointment.
“I am sorry, Sister Superior. It seems I cannot become its user.”
Holy Relics were engraved with inscriptions that symbolized their names, and these inscriptions often served as hints regarding what kind of being could use them.
This specific Holy Relic was called the Purity Protection of Askara, and if even the Saintess of the Church could not activate it, then that meant…
‘Haha~ I know the truth! The Lady Saintess is no longer pure! She must have eight secret boyfriends hidden away somewhere~’
The girl quickly suppressed the urge to slam the table and demand a trial.
Who would dare question the purity of the Church’s Saintess? Was her head made of spare parts?
If the Lady Saintess could not activate the Holy Relic, it had to be a problem with the relic itself.
The Sister Superior sighed, not letting her thoughts wander in a strange direction.
Instead, she said helplessly, “I am afraid this Holy Relic has other activation requirements. In that case, I will take it to the storage room at the main cathedral…”
“P-please, wait a moment!”
Emma suddenly interrupted the Sister Superior’s plan.
“Emma, what is it?” the Sister Superior asked, looking at her. “If you want to try it, that is fine.”
She certainly would not try it — what if she exposed her identity as a member of the Blood Tribe?
She was not suicidal!
Instead, she met the Sister Superior’s gaze and said timidly, “I have an idea. As long as we do not say anything, no one will know this item is actually a Holy Relic, right?”
“We could place it in the chapel as a decoration and then hold a tour of the church for the students of the Clock Tower. Perhaps we might find someone in the academy who is compatible with this Holy Relic!”
“And even if we do find them, the compatible person themselves won’t know it — we can quietly investigate their identity first~”
After finishing her piece, Emma carefully lifted her head to look at her superior, stammering, “Uh… Sister Superior? I’m just saying. If you think it’s ridiculous, please just pretend you didn’t hear it, hehe~”
The Sister Superior blinked and then smiled. “… No, I am just a bit surprised. Emma, that is a very good suggestion.”
Even the Lady Saintess clapped her small hands for Emma. “I agree as well! Sister Superior, is this a newcomer at your side?”
“An orphan from the war who drifted to the capital; her name is Emma. I saw that she was very devout, so I had her join the Hidden Sea Church. She is currently familiarizing herself with her duties as a novice nun by my side.”
“Emma, your suggestion should be passed directly to the Great Sage at the top level. Let the Great Sage handle the arrangements. Tell them it was my idea.”
“Yes! Sister Superior!” Emma replied, standing at attention. She then turned and jogged away, trying her best to hide the “evil pink-haired dog” expression on her face.
‘Hehe… it worked.’
Her suggestion was not actually strange, because her little plan lay within the suggestion itself — it was just a way to stall for time.
Now that the existence of the Holy Relic was confirmed, it was definitely information the Demon King had ordered her to investigate.
The girl intended to report this information to the Demon King immediately without reservation.
‘Hmph, hmph~ Will Master Demon King trust me more this way? Will she consider letting me defect?’
‘Will she let me become her daughter!?’
No matter the outcome, it would certainly be better than risking her life for the True Ancestor.
‘Sigh~ If I had known, I should have resisted when the True Ancestor bit me. Looking at it now… she is truly pathetic.’
The girl jogged all the way to the bottom floor of the Clock Tower.
However, just as she was rushing toward the infirmary, so excited that it felt like a dog’s tail was growing from her backside…
At the end of the increasingly quiet and deserted corridor, a familiar figure suddenly appeared, blocking her path!
The moment she saw who it was, Emma began to tremble with fear!
“Eek! Y-you are Lady Kaika…”
Kaika, the “daughter” of the Demon King. In terms of status, she was worlds above a mere vampire like Emma.
Before the girl could show her loyalty or act cute, she realized something: was Kaika trying to steal her credit?
“It seems you have obtained the information Mother wanted, vampire.”
“In that case, you can just tell me directly. Mother is not someone you can see whenever you wish.”