The sun and moon swapped places as night fell.
Dim yellow magical lights flickered on along the paths inside and outside the Clock Tower. The voices of students chatting faded away as their shadows lengthened and shortened in the glow.
Right now, Valo sat across from a white-haired nun on a hospital bed. She held the girl’s slightly swollen left ankle in one hand while applying an anti-swelling ointment with the other.
Under the cold white light, the infirmary was silent, save for the panicked, flustered breathing of the young nun.
After being subjected to Valo’s rear-naked choke and having her mouth covered, the girl before her had indeed settled down. However, reality was not like a game where one could use the SL Method to evade risk — her identity as Demon King II had already been recognized.
The girl was currently squirming uncomfortably, staring fixedly at Valo with a tense expression that suggested she wanted to say something but hesitated.
‘Stop staring. You haven’t recognized the wrong person.’
Valo kept a stiff face, remaining silent as she slightly raised her head, her eyes lowered as she quietly observed the nun.
Some people looked calm on the outside, but they were actually panicking internally — in truth, she was the most nervous person there.
Although the girl was wearing a Church uniform and looked the part, she was actually Valo’s “teammate” — a member of the Blood Tribe, a major branch of the Demon Clan.
Vampires were veteran character archetypes in the two-dimensional world, something to be savored. A webnovel without a vampire girl felt like a failure of a life.
However, while the Blood Tribe was supposedly an ally, they were actually the faction that cut ties the fastest in Valorant. If the protagonist showed even a slight flaw or failed in their rule as the Demon King, the Blood Ancestor would immediately distance herself, appearing united but divided at heart.
Considering Valo’s current situation, it did not take much thought to guess how the Blood Ancestor would treat her. And the girl before her, Emma, was a member of that very Blood Tribe!
In the game, Emma was one of the optional starting “daughters.” As a daughter of one’s own camp, her difficulty level was just for beginners; you could raise her however you wanted as long as you kept an eye on her loyalty.
If the protagonist did not choose Emma at the start, she would appear as a “vassal” of the Blood Ancestor — which was essentially a mother-daughter relationship anyway.
In this timeline, Emma’s presence here meant she was likely carrying out the Blood Ancestor’s orders. According to the game’s plot in the Fall of the Country Route, the Blood Ancestor intended to start a new coalition and become the new Demon King.
Emma had been ordered to disguise herself as a student at the Clock Tower and infiltrate the Empire to gather clues and information on the Holy Relics. This was so that she could eventually tell the Blood Ancestor, “Congratulations, you can now declare yourself Emperor!”
Valo’s hand tightened slightly on the girl’s small foot. ‘I messed up.’
‘I was so busy trying to cut ties with my role as a mother that I forgot about this white-haired vampire puppy. Now that Emma isn’t my daughter, what if she sells out my identity to the Great Sage or someone like him just to claim a reward?’
However, just as Valo began to feel a chill of fear, the girl’s reaction gave her an idea!
“Ugh… Demon King… no, wait, Teacher Valo?”
Emma’s reaction was even more nervous and fearful than hers. She was actually trying to suck up to Valo!
“You — you look like you’re in a bad mood. Um… I can explain why I’m here.”
Valo understood everything in an instant.
She released the girl’s ankle and looked up, her expression turning cold. She forced her cute, beautiful face into a semblance of the Demon King’s majesty.
She sneered, “Emma of the Blood Tribe, what are you afraid of?”
“What, are you surprised to see that I’m not dead?”
That was right. Why should the dignified Villainous Demon King Valo Rante II be afraid? The ones who should be scared were the Blood Tribe members who had been so quick to try and form a new coalition the moment they heard news of her death!
As long as she acted tough, Emma would be the one feeling the pressure.
‘While I live, the rest of you are but my subjects!’
“Eek!”
Just as expected, the vampire girl shuddered violently. She began to wave her hands frantically as she babbled an explanation. “I’m sorry, Lord Demon Ki — “
“Hmm?”
“I’m sorry, Teacher Valo! I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just surprised to see you here! Because, weren’t you already by the Subjugation Team…”
Acting tough was only the first step. To completely stabilize this vampire girl who knew her, Valo had to concoct a perfect excuse.
“Do you really believe everything you hear? Hmph… My death was nothing more than a giant lie told by that hypocritical and arrogant Hero Party to cover up their own incompetence and failures. I took the opportunity to sneak into the Empire under the guise of the Hero’s mother. This King shall rise again here and reclaim my glory.”
After striking what she considered a cool Lelouch pose, Valo locked her gaze onto Emma.
Her excuse was set. Now it was time for her to go on the offensive.
“Now then, Emma, as a vassal of that old virgin, why are you here?”
The girl fell silent.
She blinked her crimson eyes, looking at Valo thoughtfully. The nervous fear from before had vanished without a trace.
“Emma?” Valo prompted.
The girl finally snapped out of it and quickly lowered her head, confessing honestly.
“The Blood Ancestor sent me to infiltrate the Empire, Teacher Valo. She said my mana signature in my normal state has no flaws and is perfect for a disguise. The Blood Ancestor…”
The girl looked up slightly, peering at Valo.
“She wants me to use my identity as a nun of the Hidden Sea Church to gather clues about the Holy Relics. After all, the Holy Relics always pass through the Church for inspection!”
Afterwards, as expected, the purpose Emma confessed was exactly what the Blood Ancestor did in the game’s Fall of the Country Route — sending her vassal, Emma, to hide and gather info on the Holy Relics.
After confirming this, Valo did not trouble Emma further. She ordered her to keep the secret and go back to her business.
Once Emma left, Valo finally turned off the lights, locked the door, and walked out of the infirmary while rubbing her aching temples.
Emma’s appearance had ruined Valo’s appetite. She decided to head straight back to the dormitory.
Just as she was thinking this, a figure stepped out from the shadows of the ceiling lights in the now-quiet hallway of the Clock Tower, following alongside her the moment she stepped out!
“Mother, are you sure it’s okay not to get rid of that vampire who knows your identity?”
Meow! Sss!
…What the heck? It was just Kaika!
‘How long was this unfilial daughter eavesdropping outside the infirmary? She popped out like a ghost!’
Kaika’s voice turned slightly sour. “I don’t recall you knowing the Blood Ancestor’s vassal… Hmm, Mother, you can give me the order, and I can make her disappear completely tonight.”
Valo immediately made a shushing gesture, cutting off Kaika’s volunteer work.
“No, Kaika. You don’t have to worry about her selling us out. She’s carrying the Blood Ancestor’s orders herself. I also gave her a good enough scare just now; she wouldn’t want to risk mutual destruction. Besides, you’ve already used a Holy Relic once. Can you try to keep a low profile for a while?”
This request was not just to stop her unfilial daughter from causing more trouble. More importantly…
After confirming Emma’s purpose and successfully intimidating her, Valo finally smelled an opportunity!
Joining the Clock Tower meant that certain Bad Endings were inevitable. Since she had become a school nurse who could not even learn magic from the teachers, her only hope lay in the Holy Relics.
Emma, disguised as a nun of the Hidden Sea Church within the Clock Tower, was there specifically to scout for them.
What a stroke of luck.
Valo was feeling quite pleased with herself, entirely failing to notice that beside her, Kaika’s gaze had turned a bit strange upon hearing that she would not “assassinate Emma to eliminate the threat.”