After leaping and maneuvering across rooftops and walls for a good while until they were completely clear of the Clock Tower’s vicinity and had reached the still-bustling night market in the center of the Kingdom of Havoc’s Imperial Capital, Kaika silently set down Valo, whom she had been carrying in her arms the entire way.
However, now was hardly the time for them to relax.
They certainly couldn’t return to the dormitory—real life wasn’t a game, after all; how could they treat the dorm like a save point?
Their priority was to immediately find a perfect disguise and a place to hide to temporarily evade pursuit while they planned their next move.
“Kaika, take off your mask and come with me,” Valo said.
Soon, Valo turned her gaze toward a corner of the street bathed in the neon lights of the night—the only suitable safe house available.
[Love Hotel]
Literally, it was a hotel for couples. The rooms were convenient for various activities, fully equipped with tools, featured separate wet and dry areas, and required no cleaning from the guests.
But as everyone knew, the Imperial Capital of Havoc was a city full of tolerance and understanding, so…
Who said two girls couldn’t enter a love hotel? Was it not allowed to book a room just to play Yu-Gi-Oh!?
‘My OBELISK THE TORMENTOR won’t lose! It’s not a monster; it’s a god! GOD HAND IMPACT!’
The proprietress at the front desk gave her and Kaika a strange look when they arrived to check in.
After a look that seemed to “reminisce about the past,” she handed them two bottles of mineral water.
“These are on the house. Remember to stay moist and keep up your fluids.”
‘I’ll supplement your ancestors.’
Valo didn’t bother to argue. She pulled Kaika, whose expression was a bit odd, and rushed into their room.
Dim pink lighting filled the room, and the scent of rose wine was enough to make one’s head spin just by breathing it in.
There was a spacious bathtub for two, a large heart-shaped bed… cosplay outfits on the rack, and several boxes of “gum” stacked high on the nightstand…
The current Valo didn’t have the energy to be curious about this place, even though it was her first time visiting one.
She dove onto the bed, sprawling out like a starfish, and let out a long sigh of relief.
Being safe for now was only the first step.
Next, she had to consider their situation based on the premise of the [Fall of the Country Route] where ‘the mother and daughter’s identities are discovered, but the main character escapes with the daughter.’
She figured the Sister Superior wouldn’t dare to send out a large-scale search party right now to avoid causing panic among the common citizens, but things might change once the sun came up tomorrow.
‘So… Kaika, treat your wounds, take a bath, and get some rest. We’ll pack up and run at dawn. Thirty years east, thirty years west—we’ll win the next Major.’
However, just as she was about to speak, Kaika’s faint, ghostly voice from right beside her pulled her back to reality!
It seemed the girl was more troubled by her unauthorized actions tonight than the upcoming escape.
“Mother…”
Kaika had already stripped off her tattered cloak and nightwear, leaving only her black underwear.
Ignoring the bruises and swelling on her body, she slowly crawled over to Valo’s side like a rebellious daughter who had done something wrong and felt guilty, yet remained stubborn and unwilling to admit it.
She looked at Valo’s profile, her small mouth muttering, “How did you know I was going to steal the Holy Relic tonight?”
“No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Do you think I don’t know you? I can tell what you’re thinking just by the way you walk…”
After acting like an expert to emphasize her maternal prowess, Valo sighed.
“Your behavior lately has been too strange, and Emma told me about how you intercepted the intel on the Holy Relics. So, I figured out pretty quickly what you were planning to do when you slipped out tonight.”
A sudden, secretively joyful chuckle mixed into the girl’s breathing by her ear.
“Mother… you really do care about me.”
“Uh, Kaika?”
‘What is this filial daughter of mine whispering about?’
Before Valo could react, the girl who had been lying beside her like a cat awkwardly apologizing took advantage of the situation.
She shifted her body and easily pinned Valo beneath her.
Her arms wrapped around Valo’s waist, and her cheek rested against Valo’s chest.
Her dark purple eyes had regained some spirit as she blinked and asked Valo, “Then… Mother, aren’t you going to punish me? After all, I acted willfully and tried to seize the Holy Relic so rashly only to be discovered. I even forced you to come save me, which might have compromised the identity you worked so hard to maintain…”
Valo hastily covered Kaika’s fragrant little mouth—her blood pressure was rising.
Talk about hitting where it hurts; was she just trying to stress her out?
Punish her?
Valo glanced at the 95% [Blackening Value] in the [Nurturing Panel], which currently sat at ninety-five percent. She smiled bitterly to herself.
‘Punish her? Like hell. What if I trigger the [Imprisonment Revenge Ending]?’
She was afraid of dying, but she was even more afraid of a fate worse than death.
And given their current need to flee, she, being naturally soft and easy to push over, couldn’t sever her role as Kaika’s mother.
What else could she do? She had to forgive her! She would play the role of the “good mother” for now to lower the girl’s [Blackening Value] and get Kaika to act normal.
“It’s all right, Kaika…”
As soon as she spoke, Valo could feel the girl’s arms around her waist tighten suddenly!
“I’ve done a lot of reflecting myself since coming to the Empire. Uh… making mistakes is just part of growing up. So, instead of punishing you like I used to, I think it’s enough as long as you know what you did wrong and correct it.”
Meanwhile, the notification box for the Holy Relic in the [Nurturing Panel] began spamming messages again.
[Ascara is deeply moved by the inseparable bond between you and Kaika]
[Favorability: 25]
Another piece of hidden information about the Holy Relic was unlocked.
[Ascara once had a gentle mother as well, but she was in her rebellious phase at the time…]
‘Yeah, yeah, I get it, you’re a tragic soul too. Skip, skip, fast-forward! Go eat some snacks elsewhere and let me focus on the task at hand, will you?’
A moment later, Valo put on a stern face, her gaze turning slightly serious. As the saying goes, one must balance kindness with authority. She had given Kaika plenty of “sugar” just now; now it was time for the “stick.”
“But Kaika, let me put the harsh words first. You can’t act recklessly like this again. You won’t be as lucky as you were tonight every time.”
The girl looked up, her gloomy, pretty face seeming to show her defiance.
But just as she was about to speak, she quieted down after meeting Valo’s eyes.
She buried her face in Valo’s shoulder, her warm, sweet breath tickling Valo’s ear.
“I understand… Mother.”
Valo felt that Kaika’s attitude toward her tonight was… a bit more normal?
Should she say she was less sarcastic or less rebellious?
Shaking her head to stop overthinking, she focused on the most important issue.
“One last question, Kaika. You must answer me.” Valo stroked the girl’s black hair and said seriously, “Why did you try to steal the Holy Relic alone? Would it have been so hard to discuss it with me, or even just tell me you were thinking about it?”
Motivation! She had to know Kaika’s motivation for this reckless act!
Otherwise, there would be a second time. If she didn’t limit Kaika’s motivations, the girl would definitely pull some other stunt later.
However, before she could finish, Valo was shocked to find that her question… seemed to have “ignited” Kaika.
The affection from a moment ago, when the girl was rubbing her nose against Valo’s neck, stopped instantly. The girl’s face darkened as she slowly pushed herself up with her arms.
Something was wrong. It was just a simple question about her goal, wasn’t it? Why was Kaika’s reaction so intense? Did she steal the Holy Relic to humiliate her? Or to increase her strength so she could “repay” her later?
Even if Kaika said, “because it was fun,” Valo would have accepted it. But…
“Do you really want to know, Mother?”
The girl suddenly lifted her head, looking down at her from above.
It was clear she was bottling up some incredible emotion! And the one who had opened the floodgates for this overflowing, aggrieved heart… was Valo herself!
Valo suddenly wanted to make peace. “Uh… heh, actually, I don’t really want to know that much…”
‘I was just kidding~’
Unfortunately… it was too late.
The girl suddenly lunged! Then, she bit down on Valo’s shoulder!
“It’s all Mother’s fault!”
Meow… Meow-meow-meow?
Before Valo could even ask a follow-up, she was pinned beneath the girl by a dangerous, electric sensation.